Plum Harvest 2008

The great Plum Harvest 2008 has begun! Robyn has coaxed a bumper crop from our backyard one-tree orchard.

Dylan's Visit

Always nice to have a visit with Christian, Katie and Dylan.

Surprise Present At Rachel's Shower

At Rachel's wedding shower/birthday party, the big surprise gift was "Austin," who finished his research work in Provo and came home early to surprise Rachel. We had to work hard to hide Austin and make sure she wouldn't find out that he was in town before the shower. Austin brought out Rachel's birthday cake. We could all tell it was a real surprise! Scroll down to see how it all happened.

Rachel's Wedding Shower

Thanks to everyone who came to the wedding shower (and birthday celebration).

Scrabble Fever

Before Rachel's shower, I made up a scrabble board in honor of her and Austin.

Doggie Day at the Beach

Princess enjoyed her day walking at the Huntington Beach Dog Park. Austin and I took her to the park to get Austin out of the house until it was time for his surprise entrance at Rachel's shower.

Robyn's Birthday Presents

Today was Robyn's birthday. Dylan's visit was the favorite part of her birthday. Dylan smiled, cooed and generally charmed her.



Ryan was proud of the wrapping job for Robyn's birthday present: a tank! The card (prepared by Stephen) was curled into the barrel. Not to worry, the actual present inside was more feminine--earrings.

Some Recent Reading

Something to get you thinking:

• Steven Simon, "The Price of the Surge--How U.S. Strategy Is Hastening Iraq's Demise," Foreign Affairs, May/June 2008, p. 57.
• Mr. Simon gives a detailed picture of happenings in Iraq. He advocates a top-down, not bottom-up solution: impose a state-solution, rather than encourage tribalism, which he says US strategy is doing. See cartoon pix at p. 62-65 for summary of who has been shooting at whom. His solution: "responsible retreat--a public commitment to a phased withdrawal." (p. 71) Is Simon's suggestion predetermined by his background (6 years in Clinton Administration National Security Council)?

• Scot Paltrow "The Pentagon's $1 Trillion Problem," Conde Nast Portfolio, May 2008, p. 122.
• Jaw dropping statistics. "In 2000 [before 9/11] , US Defense Dept's inspector general told Congress that his auditors stopped counting after finding $2.3 Trillion in unsupported entries."
• Despite a Congressional mandate 18 years ago that all US governmental agencies be audited, the US Defense Department's books are so screwed up that no one can do a real audit. [p. 124]
  
• This isn't a new problem, Congress has been trying to get it fixed since the 1950s. The main Defense department payment centers run old IBM mainframes using "Cobol," software, the "ancient Sumerian of Computer languages." [p. 125.]
  
• In the meantime, "For the first three quarters of 2007, $1.1 Trillion in Army accounting entries hadn't been properly reviewed or substantiated.

• Bucky McMahon, "Down the Monkey Hole," Men's Journal, May 2008, p. 228.
• Middle aged American freelance journalist goes to Peruvian jungles, joining other head-trip tourists who try the native hallucinogenic brew called "ayahuasca."
• One drink of the brew, and then you spend two+ hours on your knees in the "vomitorium," puking your guts out and hoping you don't soil yourself.
• The sad thing is that several of the group were looking for help: a cure for migraines, strength to overcome shyness, recovery from divorce. Try something better, like www.mormon.org.
• Bonus read: what happens when a private coup d'etat goes bad? Turn to p. 236, to read Robert Young Pelton's account of how he tried to help spring his mercenary friend from a dungeon in Equitorial Guinea in deepest darkest Africa. Brings to mind the line from Johnny Cash's Folsom Prison Blues, "When I was just a young boy, my momma said to me, always be a good boy, don't ever play with guns."