and went to a blog named Dog Jokes. Here's a sample
This guy sees a sign in front of a house, "Talking Dog for Sale." He rings the bell and the owner tells him the dog is in the back yard. The guy goes into the back yard and sees a mutt sitting there.
"You talk?", he asks.
"Yep", the mutt replies.
"So, what's your story?"
The mutt looks up and says "Well, I discovered this gift pretty young and I wanted to help the government, so I told the CIA about my gift, and in no time they had me jetting from country to country, sitting in rooms with spies and world leaders, because no one figured a dog would be eavesdropping. I was one of their most valuable spies eight years running. The jetting around really tired me out, and I knew I wasn't getting any younger and I wanted to settle down. So I signed up for a job at the airport to do some undercover security work, mostly wandering near suspicious characters and listening in. I uncovered some incredible dealings there and was awarded a batch of medals. Had a wife, a mess of puppies, and now I'm just retired."
The guy is amazed. He goes back in and asks the owner what he wants for the dog. The owner says "Ten dollars."
The guy says he'll buy the dog but asks the owner, "This dog is amazing. Why on earth are you selling him?"
The owner replies, "He's such a liar."
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Go Hill
I took time off from ND football and the markets today to read the news, and one item caught my attention. You guessed it - Hillary's campaign funds. Some Chinese gentleman named Norman Hsu is one of Hillary's big campaign contributors. He's been identified as having been convicted in California of defrauding investors out of a million dollars. After his conviction he forgot to show up in court for sentencing and there's an outstanding warrant for his arrest. Now he lives in New York and is said to be in the garment industry. (garment industry? Imports from China maybe?)
Besides his own contributions, as a leading fund raiser ("Hill Raiser"), he supposedly collects checks from other people who he contacts for donations. I'm sure investigation will prove he was making the "bundled" contributions himself by reimbursing the check writers. One Chinese family in California have been identified as the third biggest family of contributors to Hillary's campaigns: more than $130,000 since 2005. Paw, I think his name is, is a mailman whose son is supposedly a "business associate" of Hsu's.
Tracking down all Hsu's associates making large contributions shouldn't be too hard.
and it shouildn't be too tough to review their financials to see where they got the money they contributed. Nothing like a few indictments to get people cooperating. Of course the Republican controlled Federal Elections Commission and the Attorney General's office would probably like to wait until after Hillary has the Democratic nomination to bring these matters into court, and into the headlines.
I don't hate Hillary for being a liberal or a feminist, I hate her for pretending to be those things. The Democratic Party should be the champion of the working people, the Clintons have been the champions of outsourcing. The trade deals Bill engineered could have been written in Peking (Beijing) and I suppose parts of them were.
Remember the Bhuddist Temple party in 1996? The Clinton campaign received a hundred thousand dollars from Califiornia Chinese contributors. After an investigation most of it was identified as having come from a trade agency of the Chinese communist government.
One would have thought that experience would have made the Clinton's a little suspicious of Chinese American contributors. I suppose Hillary was as shocked and disappointed then as she is today. At least in '96 they were smart enough to send Al "Inconvenient Truth" Gore to the party at the temple to pick up the money.
Oh and one other thing - She'll try to donate Hsu's contributions to charity and hope no one presses too hard on the fraudulent "bundled" donations. Why not just return the money to the donor? Because then she wouldn't get the tax write off for the charitable contribution. She's just as sleazy as her husband.
Besides his own contributions, as a leading fund raiser ("Hill Raiser"), he supposedly collects checks from other people who he contacts for donations. I'm sure investigation will prove he was making the "bundled" contributions himself by reimbursing the check writers. One Chinese family in California have been identified as the third biggest family of contributors to Hillary's campaigns: more than $130,000 since 2005. Paw, I think his name is, is a mailman whose son is supposedly a "business associate" of Hsu's.
Tracking down all Hsu's associates making large contributions shouldn't be too hard.
and it shouildn't be too tough to review their financials to see where they got the money they contributed. Nothing like a few indictments to get people cooperating. Of course the Republican controlled Federal Elections Commission and the Attorney General's office would probably like to wait until after Hillary has the Democratic nomination to bring these matters into court, and into the headlines.
I don't hate Hillary for being a liberal or a feminist, I hate her for pretending to be those things. The Democratic Party should be the champion of the working people, the Clintons have been the champions of outsourcing. The trade deals Bill engineered could have been written in Peking (Beijing) and I suppose parts of them were.
Remember the Bhuddist Temple party in 1996? The Clinton campaign received a hundred thousand dollars from Califiornia Chinese contributors. After an investigation most of it was identified as having come from a trade agency of the Chinese communist government.
One would have thought that experience would have made the Clinton's a little suspicious of Chinese American contributors. I suppose Hillary was as shocked and disappointed then as she is today. At least in '96 they were smart enough to send Al "Inconvenient Truth" Gore to the party at the temple to pick up the money.
Oh and one other thing - She'll try to donate Hsu's contributions to charity and hope no one presses too hard on the fraudulent "bundled" donations. Why not just return the money to the donor? Because then she wouldn't get the tax write off for the charitable contribution. She's just as sleazy as her husband.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
I didn't know what to post
so I posted this. Kind of different but pretty funny.
As kick off time approaches my brain starts to shut down.
As kick off time approaches my brain starts to shut down.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Would you like to meet someone who swears a lot?
Well here he is.
I had a nice day today. Kim came by around noon, We had a nice visit. Then Mom and I went to Best Buy to buy me a new keyboard. I spilled iced tea on my old one. It was not my home-made iced tea. It was a store-bought mix with a lot of sugar and some lemon flavoring. It sure made a mess of a perfectly good key board. My first thought was "Thrift Store" for a $4 replacement. Mom seemed skeptical, so I proposed Walmart for a basic bare-bones model for $12. Mom suggested Best Buy so I lifted my target to $16. But the cheapest they had was $20 so we took it. Did you know you can pay close to $200 for a keyboard? Well, you can. The only keyboard that would be worth $200 would have to be hermetically sealed and sweet drink resistant. But the one I got has 10 extra buttons down each side. I used three of them to adjust the volume while playing Risk. I think two others are for home and mailbox when on the internet. I plan to learn and use the other fifteen as well, having spent all that money. On the downside it came with a little pad to rest your hands on while typing, which I attached. The problem being that it throws me off a little and I sometimes hit the control key instead of the shift key. As you may know, the control key can be a nuisance. When I started to type the title above I must have hit control W and boom I was out of my mailbox back to my home-page. The price of progress...
But, anyway, there at Best Buy Mom found a three disc Neil Diamond anthology which contained the excellent but hard to find stuff from 35 - 40 years ago, like Glory Road, Porcupine Pie, and You're so Sweet (Horseflies Keep Buzzin 'round Your Face). She was so happy after we got home and she listened to a couple songs she came over and hugged me because I helped her find it. Well, nothing's ever quite perfect and sure enough she observed a couple of gross-lookin' fingerprints on the striated side of one of the disks, which as it turns out makes six of the songs unavailabe for listening.
Show of hands - Who thinks the gross fingerprints were imprinted at the factory? Ok, and how many think some Best Buy customer stirring his or her chocolate milk with their fingers while playing with the discs, realized the grave consequences of their carelessness and returned the package to Best Buy, who reshrink wrapped it and put it back into inventory? OK, and who thinks the customer got out their hairdrier and put their own shrinkwrap on and returned it to the store as though it hadn't been opened. Maybe we'll never know.
Much more happened today, like
driving through West Dundee where the storm last night blew down some trees including the old fir tree at village hall where they've traditionally hung the Christmas, oh excuse me, I meant holiday, no, I meant Seasonal Lights.
walking down by the river to see how high the water level was, and
babysitting little Malachy tonight who did NOT throw any Leggo's at my head.
But I'm out of space.
I had a nice day today. Kim came by around noon, We had a nice visit. Then Mom and I went to Best Buy to buy me a new keyboard. I spilled iced tea on my old one. It was not my home-made iced tea. It was a store-bought mix with a lot of sugar and some lemon flavoring. It sure made a mess of a perfectly good key board. My first thought was "Thrift Store" for a $4 replacement. Mom seemed skeptical, so I proposed Walmart for a basic bare-bones model for $12. Mom suggested Best Buy so I lifted my target to $16. But the cheapest they had was $20 so we took it. Did you know you can pay close to $200 for a keyboard? Well, you can. The only keyboard that would be worth $200 would have to be hermetically sealed and sweet drink resistant. But the one I got has 10 extra buttons down each side. I used three of them to adjust the volume while playing Risk. I think two others are for home and mailbox when on the internet. I plan to learn and use the other fifteen as well, having spent all that money. On the downside it came with a little pad to rest your hands on while typing, which I attached. The problem being that it throws me off a little and I sometimes hit the control key instead of the shift key. As you may know, the control key can be a nuisance. When I started to type the title above I must have hit control W and boom I was out of my mailbox back to my home-page. The price of progress...
But, anyway, there at Best Buy Mom found a three disc Neil Diamond anthology which contained the excellent but hard to find stuff from 35 - 40 years ago, like Glory Road, Porcupine Pie, and You're so Sweet (Horseflies Keep Buzzin 'round Your Face). She was so happy after we got home and she listened to a couple songs she came over and hugged me because I helped her find it. Well, nothing's ever quite perfect and sure enough she observed a couple of gross-lookin' fingerprints on the striated side of one of the disks, which as it turns out makes six of the songs unavailabe for listening.
Show of hands - Who thinks the gross fingerprints were imprinted at the factory? Ok, and how many think some Best Buy customer stirring his or her chocolate milk with their fingers while playing with the discs, realized the grave consequences of their carelessness and returned the package to Best Buy, who reshrink wrapped it and put it back into inventory? OK, and who thinks the customer got out their hairdrier and put their own shrinkwrap on and returned it to the store as though it hadn't been opened. Maybe we'll never know.
Much more happened today, like
driving through West Dundee where the storm last night blew down some trees including the old fir tree at village hall where they've traditionally hung the Christmas, oh excuse me, I meant holiday, no, I meant Seasonal Lights.
walking down by the river to see how high the water level was, and
babysitting little Malachy tonight who did NOT throw any Leggo's at my head.
But I'm out of space.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
A Musical Treat
8 days to footbaw. In the mean time. You guys know Johnny Cash, right? But do yo know Carl Perkins? He sang Blue Suede Shoes before Elvis did.
Edit with update: I listened to this again tonight and I really like it. Yardbirds, Blues Breakers, Cream, Blind Faith, Delaney and Bonnie - I liked Clapton where ever he showed up, but for me Derek and the Dominoes was the definitive work. For the real flavor though you have to listen to the recording because Duane Allman's slide guitar on the album was great. Duane Allman was great and I read somewhere he always paid the roadies before he paid the band.
Edit with update: I listened to this again tonight and I really like it. Yardbirds, Blues Breakers, Cream, Blind Faith, Delaney and Bonnie - I liked Clapton where ever he showed up, but for me Derek and the Dominoes was the definitive work. For the real flavor though you have to listen to the recording because Duane Allman's slide guitar on the album was great. Duane Allman was great and I read somewhere he always paid the roadies before he paid the band.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Being There
Remember that movie with Peter Sellers? Then you can figure out why Irish fans refer to Ty Willingham as Chauncy, especially after reading this quote from his press conference today, when asked about his teams opening game against Syracuse next month-
(Posied by Ditka03 at Rock's House):
Lionel (Oh yeah, sometimes they call him Lionel too. I'm not sure, but that may be from the movie Radio. Sorry.) was asked at his press conference today if he was preparing differently for Syracuse given that the game is at the Carrier Dome. Below is his response, taken word for word:
"I think its going to be different. Anytime you’re indoors, its different. Ya know, I don’t know the drafts of the building, and really I can’t remember what the drafts of the building were, OK, and every building has one, depending on which door they open, OK, so we’ll try to figure those things out the day before. But the overall heat, we know the east is usually associated with humidity. We know that humidity is the killer, not temperature. Its humidity that makes all the difference, and that is something that is very difficult to do. Most people don’t do well breathing water. And especially if you got a lot of people. Because I’m imagining where they draw their air from is the outside, and if the outside air is humid, its got a chance."
Whaaat?
I'm posting a lot of ND stuff because, believe me, you don't want me to get started on the economy and the markets. That stuff I told you about, it's here. You don't feel anything? Good. Say a little prayer, knock on wood, and throw some salt over your shoulder. Then duck,
But the family news is all good. The extended family is planning a week-end get together in October at my sister Mary's cabin in Wisconsin. That'll be great. My nephew Bill and his lovely wife Courtney are expecting in February. Betsy gets to be a Mommo. That's so cool.
(Posied by Ditka03 at Rock's House):
Lionel (Oh yeah, sometimes they call him Lionel too. I'm not sure, but that may be from the movie Radio. Sorry.) was asked at his press conference today if he was preparing differently for Syracuse given that the game is at the Carrier Dome. Below is his response, taken word for word:
"I think its going to be different. Anytime you’re indoors, its different. Ya know, I don’t know the drafts of the building, and really I can’t remember what the drafts of the building were, OK, and every building has one, depending on which door they open, OK, so we’ll try to figure those things out the day before. But the overall heat, we know the east is usually associated with humidity. We know that humidity is the killer, not temperature. Its humidity that makes all the difference, and that is something that is very difficult to do. Most people don’t do well breathing water. And especially if you got a lot of people. Because I’m imagining where they draw their air from is the outside, and if the outside air is humid, its got a chance."
Whaaat?
I'm posting a lot of ND stuff because, believe me, you don't want me to get started on the economy and the markets. That stuff I told you about, it's here. You don't feel anything? Good. Say a little prayer, knock on wood, and throw some salt over your shoulder. Then duck,
But the family news is all good. The extended family is planning a week-end get together in October at my sister Mary's cabin in Wisconsin. That'll be great. My nephew Bill and his lovely wife Courtney are expecting in February. Betsy gets to be a Mommo. That's so cool.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Back in the day
Corwin Brown, ND's new defensive coordinator, was quite a hitter. I can't wait to see our defensive backs lay the timber to some receivers like this. Heck, it'll be a nice change if they're close enough to the receiver to be on the screen at the same time.
Thanks to FightOnforMorrisey at Rock's house for the clip
Thanks to FightOnforMorrisey at Rock's house for the clip
Saturday, August 04, 2007
Links
I added a link to CounterPunch. I thought I already had one.
I'm not deleting my link for the Edwards campaign, I still favor him. I'm getting to like Obama better though as he takes the heat for saying he would talk to Chavez and Castro (instead of having them assassinated as the less "naive" candidates would prefer to do.) He said he wouldn't drop an atom bomb on Pakistan to kill Osama bin Laden. Duh! So Hillary ripped him for taking that option "off the table". I really hate that bitch.
I'm not deleting my link for the Edwards campaign, I still favor him. I'm getting to like Obama better though as he takes the heat for saying he would talk to Chavez and Castro (instead of having them assassinated as the less "naive" candidates would prefer to do.) He said he wouldn't drop an atom bomb on Pakistan to kill Osama bin Laden. Duh! So Hillary ripped him for taking that option "off the table". I really hate that bitch.
State and local govt's will feel pinch
From Counterpunch:
The Politics of Pain
“Pain starts to spread as state shuts its wallet…” (Los Angeles Times headline, August 3, 2007.)
“The budget standoff is forcing California to cease funding hundreds of health-and child-care providers. Some are hanging by a thread.” (Los Angeles Times subhead, August 3, 2007.)How about “The budget standoff is forcing California to cease funding highway construction, or prison construction, or subsidies for poison spray programs, or SWAT munition enhancements, or …
Nah. Stick it to the kids.
The Politics of Pain
“Pain starts to spread as state shuts its wallet…” (Los Angeles Times headline, August 3, 2007.)
“The budget standoff is forcing California to cease funding hundreds of health-and child-care providers. Some are hanging by a thread.” (Los Angeles Times subhead, August 3, 2007.)How about “The budget standoff is forcing California to cease funding highway construction, or prison construction, or subsidies for poison spray programs, or SWAT munition enhancements, or …
Nah. Stick it to the kids.
Not everyone loves Jane Austen
"Jane Austen? Why, I go so far as to say that any library is a good library that does not contain a volume by Jane Austen. Even if it contains no other book."
MARK TWAIN
MARK TWAIN
Friday, August 03, 2007
Wow, it's Friday already
I haven't gotten around to posting about our trip to Champaign. It was great. Noah and Lauren are doing really well. Lauren likes her job taking care of wayward kids at a correctional facility. Noah finished his summer school with good grades and has a month off before school starts again. Their house is cute and comfy, and sleeps seven as we found out.
We'd been up in the air about whether to drive down and back on Monday or stay there Monday night. We were having such a nice time we couldn't tear ourselves away, until after Lauren fixed biscuits and gravy Tuesday morning. (Thanks, Lauren)
Sam and Maxie (the poochies) are doing fine. Max must remember his days as our house-guest, because he was very attentive to me. Audrie, the cat, was torn between a desire to just hide someplace til we left and the need to assert her territorial prerogatives.
Mark, Steffie, and Malachy drove down separately, and ended up spending the night too. So it was real quality family time. Noah got Mally a cute stuffed dinosaur to carry around and sleep with, and I got to go to Sonic - for a coney dog. Yummm!
We'd been up in the air about whether to drive down and back on Monday or stay there Monday night. We were having such a nice time we couldn't tear ourselves away, until after Lauren fixed biscuits and gravy Tuesday morning. (Thanks, Lauren)
Sam and Maxie (the poochies) are doing fine. Max must remember his days as our house-guest, because he was very attentive to me. Audrie, the cat, was torn between a desire to just hide someplace til we left and the need to assert her territorial prerogatives.
Mark, Steffie, and Malachy drove down separately, and ended up spending the night too. So it was real quality family time. Noah got Mally a cute stuffed dinosaur to carry around and sleep with, and I got to go to Sonic - for a coney dog. Yummm!
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Monday, July 23, 2007
Who's smarter
Apple or AT&T?
From the Street.Com
It's well established that the world's most talked-about phone has lured thousands of free-spending, lust seeking customers since its introduction last month. But the financial terms of the revenue-sharing deal have been kept under wraps.
Until now, that is.
People close to the companies tell TheStreet.com that AT&T is paying Apple a bounty of between $150 and $200 per phone -- plus $9 a month per phone over the life of the typical two-year customer contract.
AT&T didn't comment, and Apple said it would have no comment.
From the Street.Com
It's well established that the world's most talked-about phone has lured thousands of free-spending, lust seeking customers since its introduction last month. But the financial terms of the revenue-sharing deal have been kept under wraps.
Until now, that is.
People close to the companies tell TheStreet.com that AT&T is paying Apple a bounty of between $150 and $200 per phone -- plus $9 a month per phone over the life of the typical two-year customer contract.
AT&T didn't comment, and Apple said it would have no comment.
Just to post something - dieux
Quick update - Went to church and breakfast with brother John on Sunday. Lately I've been seeing John about once a year, maybe that'll improve now that he's moving back to Illinois. Wait a second, that's about as often as I see any of my brothers.
I've been neglecting my blog responsibilities to read a lot on the markets. "He does not sleep - he waits."
Also I'm reading about Notre Dames's football future. The folks at Rock's House have the pitchforks, sickles. shillelaghs and torches in their hands and they're marching on the castle demanding the athletic director, Kevin White, be thrown to the mob. They think his negotiation of our Bowl Championship Series and our Adidas deals were badly done. They think his plan to go to a seven home, four away and one neutral game schedule will reduce the level of competetiveness of our opponents. Good teams won't come to ND to play one year if we won't play them at their home in the next year. So we'll play some patsies, have an easier schedule and get to keep the home game ticket receipts. A lot of teams do that kind of thing, but we haven't been one of them. But the item that really has them fulminating is that he keeps dropping hints that he wants to install a Jumbotron in the stadium.
Since his contract goes to 2012, the only hope is that Chicago gets the Olympics and Mayor Dailey hires him away from us.
On a lighter note, one poster felt sorry enough for White to post this.
I've been neglecting my blog responsibilities to read a lot on the markets. "He does not sleep - he waits."
Also I'm reading about Notre Dames's football future. The folks at Rock's House have the pitchforks, sickles. shillelaghs and torches in their hands and they're marching on the castle demanding the athletic director, Kevin White, be thrown to the mob. They think his negotiation of our Bowl Championship Series and our Adidas deals were badly done. They think his plan to go to a seven home, four away and one neutral game schedule will reduce the level of competetiveness of our opponents. Good teams won't come to ND to play one year if we won't play them at their home in the next year. So we'll play some patsies, have an easier schedule and get to keep the home game ticket receipts. A lot of teams do that kind of thing, but we haven't been one of them. But the item that really has them fulminating is that he keeps dropping hints that he wants to install a Jumbotron in the stadium.
Since his contract goes to 2012, the only hope is that Chicago gets the Olympics and Mayor Dailey hires him away from us.
On a lighter note, one poster felt sorry enough for White to post this.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Just to post something:
True Phone Call - A Customer
To Bank Of America
7-21-7
Bank: This is the Bank of America, can I help you?
Customer: Yes, I want to cancel my account. I don't want to do business with you any longer.
Bank: Why?
Customer: You're giving credit to illegal immigrants and I don't think it's right. I'm taking my business elsewhere.
Bank: Well, Mr. Customer, we don't want to see you do that, but we can't stop you. I'll help you close the account. What is your account number?
Customer: (gives account number)
Bank: For security purposes and for your protection,can you please give me the last four digits of your social security number?
Customer: No.
Bank: Mr. Customer, I need to verify your information, but in order to help you, I'll need verification of who you are.
Customer: Why should I give you my social security number? The reason I'm closing my account is that your bank is issuing credit cards to illegal immigrants who don't have social security numbers. You are targeting that audience and want their business. Let's say I'm an illegal immigrant and you've given me a credit card. I have a question about it and call for assistance. You wouldn't be asking me for a Social Security number, would you?
Bank: No sir, I wouldn't.
Customer: Why not?
Bank: Because you would have pressed '2' to speak in Spanish. We don't ask for that information when calling in on the Spanish line.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/immigration/bankofamerica.asp
To Bank Of America
7-21-7
Bank: This is the Bank of America, can I help you?
Customer: Yes, I want to cancel my account. I don't want to do business with you any longer.
Bank: Why?
Customer: You're giving credit to illegal immigrants and I don't think it's right. I'm taking my business elsewhere.
Bank: Well, Mr. Customer, we don't want to see you do that, but we can't stop you. I'll help you close the account. What is your account number?
Customer: (gives account number)
Bank: For security purposes and for your protection,can you please give me the last four digits of your social security number?
Customer: No.
Bank: Mr. Customer, I need to verify your information, but in order to help you, I'll need verification of who you are.
Customer: Why should I give you my social security number? The reason I'm closing my account is that your bank is issuing credit cards to illegal immigrants who don't have social security numbers. You are targeting that audience and want their business. Let's say I'm an illegal immigrant and you've given me a credit card. I have a question about it and call for assistance. You wouldn't be asking me for a Social Security number, would you?
Bank: No sir, I wouldn't.
Customer: Why not?
Bank: Because you would have pressed '2' to speak in Spanish. We don't ask for that information when calling in on the Spanish line.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/immigration/bankofamerica.asp
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Ommmmmm
Tonight we're watching Music and Lyrics. Last night we watched Miss Potter. Two chick flix in two nights, but I'm not complaining. I'm enjoying them. It's not my feminine side, It's equanimity. Normally, I like gangsters, cowboys and war where the bad guys get theirs, and the good guy (better?) has to pay the price to deliver what they deserve. But for now I can do without the violence.
It may have to do with my advancing years. It may have to do with a peaceful feeling that came over me Tuesday night very late while we were babysitting Malachy and I stepped out for a smoke. It was very nice out and I was pretty tired, but I felt like I pretty much understood the important stuff and that things were playing out harmoniously.
This morning I ran an errand in the Nissan, which Kim had driven last, and the Christian music station was on the radio and I didn't switch to the NPR station. Of course it helped that the first song they played was Shout to the Lord; the next was Open the Eyes of My Heart, one of Steffy's favorites.
Other nice things happened this week. So anyway I'm feeling pretty good.
It may have to do with my advancing years. It may have to do with a peaceful feeling that came over me Tuesday night very late while we were babysitting Malachy and I stepped out for a smoke. It was very nice out and I was pretty tired, but I felt like I pretty much understood the important stuff and that things were playing out harmoniously.
This morning I ran an errand in the Nissan, which Kim had driven last, and the Christian music station was on the radio and I didn't switch to the NPR station. Of course it helped that the first song they played was Shout to the Lord; the next was Open the Eyes of My Heart, one of Steffy's favorites.
Other nice things happened this week. So anyway I'm feeling pretty good.
Friday, July 06, 2007
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
For you Roswell fans
Roswell theory revived by deathbed confessionFrom correspondents in Washington
July 01, 2007 12:30am
Article from: Font size: + -
Send this article: Print Email
Roswell PR officer says he saw alien bodies
UFO pieces handed around at high-level meeting
Splat!: are aliens just humans from the future?
EXACTLY 60 years ago, a light aircraft was flying over the Cascade Mountains in Washington State, at a height of around 3000m.
Suddenly, a brilliant flash of light illuminated the aircraft.
Visibility was good and as pilot Kenneth Arnold scanned the sky to find the source of the light, he saw a group of nine shiny metallic objects flying information.
He estimated their speed as being around 2600km/h - nearly three times faster than the top speed of any jet aircraft at the time.
Soon, similar reports began to come in from all over America.
This wasn't just the world's first UFO sighting, this was the birth of a phenomenon, one that still exercises an extraordinary fascination.
Military authorities issued a press release, which began: "The many rumours regarding the flying disc became a reality yesterday when the intelligence officer of the 509th Bomb Group of the Eighth Air Force, Roswell Army Air Field, was fortunate enough to gain possession of a disc."
The headlines screamed: "Flying Disc captured by Air Force".
Yet, just 24 hours later, the military changed their story and claimed the object they'd first thought was a "flying disc" was a weather balloon that had crashed on a nearby ranch.
The key witness was Major Jesse Marcel, the intelligence officer who had gone to the ranch to recover the wreckage.
He described the metal as being wafer thin but incredibly tough.
It was as light as balsa wood, but couldn't be cut or burned.
These and similar accounts of the incident have largely been dismissed by all except the most dedicated believers.
Astonishing new twist
But last week came an astonishing new twist to the Roswell mystery.
Lieutenant Walter Haut was the public relations officer at the base in 1947 and was the man who issued the original and subsequent press releases after the crash on the orders of the base commander, Colonel William Blanchard.
Haut died last year but left a sworn affidavit to be opened only after his death.
Last week, the text was released and asserts that the weather balloon claim was a cover story and that the real object had been recovered by the military and stored in a hangar.
He described seeing not just the craft, but alien bodies.
He wasn't the first Roswell witness to talk about alien bodies.
Local undertaker Glenn Dennis had long claimed that he was contacted by authorities at Roswell shortly after the crash and asked to provide a number of child-sized coffins.
When he arrived at the base, he was apparently told by a nurse (who later disappeared) that a UFO had crashed and that small humanoid extraterrestrials had been recovered.
But Haut is the only one of the original participants to claim to have seen alien bodies.
UFO pieces handed around
Haut's affidavit talks about a high-level meeting he attended with base commander Col William Blanchard and the Commander of the Eighth Army Air Force, General Roger Ramey.
Haut states that at this meeting, pieces of wreckage were handed around for participants to touch, with nobody able to identify the material.
He says the press release was issued because locals were already aware of the crash site, but in fact there had been a second crash site, where more debris from the craft had fallen.
The plan was that an announcement acknowledging the first site, which had been discovered by a farmer, would divert attention from the second and more important location.
The clean-up operation
Haut also spoke about a clean-up operation, where for months afterwards military personnel scoured both crash sites searching for all remaining pieces of debris, removing them and erasing all signs that anything unusual had occurred.
This ties in with claims made by locals that debris collected as souvenirs was seized by the military.
Haut then tells how Colonel Blanchard took him to "Building 84" - one of the hangars at Roswell - and showed him the craft itself.
He describes a metallic egg-shaped object around 3.6m-4.5m in length and around 1.8m wide.
He said he saw no windows, wings, tail, landing gear or any other feature.
Haug 'saw the alien bodies'
He saw two bodies on the floor, partially covered by a tarpaulin.
They are described in his statement as about 1.2m tall, with disproportionately large heads.
Towards the end of the affidavit, Haut concludes: "I am convinced that what I personally observed was some kind of craft and its crew from outer space".
What's particularly interesting about Walter Haut is that in the many interviews he gave before his death, he played down his role and made no such claims.
Had he been seeking publicity, he would surely have spoken about the craft and the bodies.
Did he fear ridicule, or was the affidavit a sort of deathbed confession from someone who had been part of a cover-up, but who had stayed loyal to the end?
The US government came under huge pressure on Roswell in the '90s.
In July 1994, in response to an inquiry from the General Accounting Office, the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force published a report, The Roswell Report: Fact Versus Fiction In The New Mexico Desert.
Weather balloon 'cover story'
The report concluded that the Roswell incident had been attributable to something called Project Mogul, a top secret project using high-altitude balloons to carry sensor equipment into the upper atmosphere, listening forevidence of Soviet nuclear tests.
The statements concerning a crashed weather balloon had been a cover story, they admitted, but not to hide the truth about extraterrestrials.
A second US Air Force report concluded claims bodies were recovered were generated by people having seen crash test dummies that were dropped from the balloons.
Sceptics, of course, will dismiss the testimony left by Haut.
After all, fascinating though it is, it's just a story. There's no proof.
But if nothing else, this latest revelation shows that, 60 years on, this mystery endures.
July 01, 2007 12:30am
Article from: Font size: + -
Send this article: Print Email
Roswell PR officer says he saw alien bodies
UFO pieces handed around at high-level meeting
Splat!: are aliens just humans from the future?
EXACTLY 60 years ago, a light aircraft was flying over the Cascade Mountains in Washington State, at a height of around 3000m.
Suddenly, a brilliant flash of light illuminated the aircraft.
Visibility was good and as pilot Kenneth Arnold scanned the sky to find the source of the light, he saw a group of nine shiny metallic objects flying information.
He estimated their speed as being around 2600km/h - nearly three times faster than the top speed of any jet aircraft at the time.
Soon, similar reports began to come in from all over America.
This wasn't just the world's first UFO sighting, this was the birth of a phenomenon, one that still exercises an extraordinary fascination.
Military authorities issued a press release, which began: "The many rumours regarding the flying disc became a reality yesterday when the intelligence officer of the 509th Bomb Group of the Eighth Air Force, Roswell Army Air Field, was fortunate enough to gain possession of a disc."
The headlines screamed: "Flying Disc captured by Air Force".
Yet, just 24 hours later, the military changed their story and claimed the object they'd first thought was a "flying disc" was a weather balloon that had crashed on a nearby ranch.
The key witness was Major Jesse Marcel, the intelligence officer who had gone to the ranch to recover the wreckage.
He described the metal as being wafer thin but incredibly tough.
It was as light as balsa wood, but couldn't be cut or burned.
These and similar accounts of the incident have largely been dismissed by all except the most dedicated believers.
Astonishing new twist
But last week came an astonishing new twist to the Roswell mystery.
Lieutenant Walter Haut was the public relations officer at the base in 1947 and was the man who issued the original and subsequent press releases after the crash on the orders of the base commander, Colonel William Blanchard.
Haut died last year but left a sworn affidavit to be opened only after his death.
Last week, the text was released and asserts that the weather balloon claim was a cover story and that the real object had been recovered by the military and stored in a hangar.
He described seeing not just the craft, but alien bodies.
He wasn't the first Roswell witness to talk about alien bodies.
Local undertaker Glenn Dennis had long claimed that he was contacted by authorities at Roswell shortly after the crash and asked to provide a number of child-sized coffins.
When he arrived at the base, he was apparently told by a nurse (who later disappeared) that a UFO had crashed and that small humanoid extraterrestrials had been recovered.
But Haut is the only one of the original participants to claim to have seen alien bodies.
UFO pieces handed around
Haut's affidavit talks about a high-level meeting he attended with base commander Col William Blanchard and the Commander of the Eighth Army Air Force, General Roger Ramey.
Haut states that at this meeting, pieces of wreckage were handed around for participants to touch, with nobody able to identify the material.
He says the press release was issued because locals were already aware of the crash site, but in fact there had been a second crash site, where more debris from the craft had fallen.
The plan was that an announcement acknowledging the first site, which had been discovered by a farmer, would divert attention from the second and more important location.
The clean-up operation
Haut also spoke about a clean-up operation, where for months afterwards military personnel scoured both crash sites searching for all remaining pieces of debris, removing them and erasing all signs that anything unusual had occurred.
This ties in with claims made by locals that debris collected as souvenirs was seized by the military.
Haut then tells how Colonel Blanchard took him to "Building 84" - one of the hangars at Roswell - and showed him the craft itself.
He describes a metallic egg-shaped object around 3.6m-4.5m in length and around 1.8m wide.
He said he saw no windows, wings, tail, landing gear or any other feature.
Haug 'saw the alien bodies'
He saw two bodies on the floor, partially covered by a tarpaulin.
They are described in his statement as about 1.2m tall, with disproportionately large heads.
Towards the end of the affidavit, Haut concludes: "I am convinced that what I personally observed was some kind of craft and its crew from outer space".
What's particularly interesting about Walter Haut is that in the many interviews he gave before his death, he played down his role and made no such claims.
Had he been seeking publicity, he would surely have spoken about the craft and the bodies.
Did he fear ridicule, or was the affidavit a sort of deathbed confession from someone who had been part of a cover-up, but who had stayed loyal to the end?
The US government came under huge pressure on Roswell in the '90s.
In July 1994, in response to an inquiry from the General Accounting Office, the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force published a report, The Roswell Report: Fact Versus Fiction In The New Mexico Desert.
Weather balloon 'cover story'
The report concluded that the Roswell incident had been attributable to something called Project Mogul, a top secret project using high-altitude balloons to carry sensor equipment into the upper atmosphere, listening forevidence of Soviet nuclear tests.
The statements concerning a crashed weather balloon had been a cover story, they admitted, but not to hide the truth about extraterrestrials.
A second US Air Force report concluded claims bodies were recovered were generated by people having seen crash test dummies that were dropped from the balloons.
Sceptics, of course, will dismiss the testimony left by Haut.
After all, fascinating though it is, it's just a story. There's no proof.
But if nothing else, this latest revelation shows that, 60 years on, this mystery endures.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
