As far as I know, this pic has not been doctored or faked. Anyone with information pertaining to this pic please comment. This shot was taken in daylight from the northwest corner of the property known as the Bowen Building, a part of the complex that previously functioned as the Bartonville State (mental) Hospital, vacant since 1973 and largely demolished. At the time of the photograph, the second story was blocked off and presumed vacant.

Time to Respond

OK, so now I need to know, by a show of hands, who out there has the ability to comment on this site. I'm hearing of issues concerning just that. If you can, do. If you can't, e-mail me to let me know. If you don't care whether you can, can't, or whether you inform me, inform me anyway so I can also get a count of those of you who don't care to. Clear? If not, inform me as to your confusion. tracyboettcher@gmail.com

What are we chasing in Afganistan?

I can understand why we're fighting in Afghanistan. After all, we should never have thinned our presence there while we pounced on Iraq (another story, another time). I know we have renewed our efforts to make the United States safer by keeping Al Qaeda on it's heels. I can understand following these terrorists into Pakistan when they run. What I can't understand is that we never get a score. A tally. A statement that specifies an accomplishment. Are we closing in on a target? What constitutes a victory, large or small? What is our end game? Kill all terrorists? If so, who are they? Is Bin Laden now a spectre? Is he really in charge of anything? If we are only interested in keeping America safe and not interested in restructuring the Afghan's political system (which, fortunately, is our objective) then why not get more invasive. Maybe napalm the poppy fields. A large portion of Al Qaeda's funding comes from this drug trade. I'll admit I'm not as well versed as I should be on the situation in Afghanistan, but I blame some of it on the vague aspirations of our military forces on the ground.

More- incidentally, wood? mainly Brazilian Cherry, some red oak, clear maple, curly maple and Bubinga (African Rosewood)

Wanna see a cool floor? Installed by "yours truly"

I need work here.................

Okay, I'm showing my age... Posts descend and I need to make one post with information and pics rather than posting a pic and a caption at a time. Otherwise the result is thus (scroll down and read up). I'll get the hang of this.

Inside, again..........................

Inside.............................

Sarah, this one's for you

1956. Prairie style home. Still waiting to see if an architecturally correct addition (to left) is to be in the works. Look below- some pcs of the interior of prow like design.

I guess I need to choose an image first, then write. Oh, silly me

Wonder what I look like? Not a pretty picture. Better heard than seen. Don't expect a lot of shots of yours truly. Truly.

Maybe More Pictures Will Help

Might be my reader(s) need more pictures to pique his(s)/her(s) interest in my drivel. It doesn't say much for the collective intellectual level of my writing (you thought I was going to slam the readership, but nay, what a suicidal move that would be- like shooting the horse you're riding.

Noble Nobel (oxymoron)

I feel I'm entitled to a Nobel prize, say.......... peace prize........... for all the peacekeeping efforts I plan to make. After all, the new initiative is to be expected to accomplish that which would qualify as Nobel prize worthy. Sign me up, I promise not to disappoint.
Also, keep me in mind for the Nobel in literature- I've read Mein Kampf, Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, Anne what's her name's diary....... I can identify with European angst. Don't overlook me just because I'm not from Austria or Germany or Luxembourg or any other hotbed of angst filled hotbed Euro village. (see, I can write). Keep in mind the best of Europeans boated to the US to get away from the oppression that was their lives and the rest remained in their villages writing about the repression of those who remained so they could receive the Nobel.
While I'm ranting sour grapes.............. have you noticed that the heavyweight division in boxing is dominated by eastern bloc, Russian (and boy are they the poster men of repression- I read The Gulag Archipelago) European types. If the powers that be awarded a Nobel for boxing, we probably wouldn't get that either.
Oh, ya, if you read this stuff, comment on it so I can make an assessment as to whether I'm a lunatic or not, and if so, how much of a danger to society I might be. Scale of 1 to 10. Thanks.