The shock and pain of having a close sibling suddenly and violently cut down by a heartless gunman affects different people in many different ways. This true story will show how one individual was adversely affected by such an event, and how his feelings of retribution would become a poisonous potion that would change his life forever. He explains, how following the shock, he was diagnosed with a serious health condition. However, by choosing to decline the offer of conventional medicine, and to turn his back on the very root of his affliction, he was able to regain his health and wellbeing. Now he shares with you some of those exact methods he applied which enable him to achieve his ultimate goal of reclaiming his health. ‘Your joy is your sorrow unmasked. And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears’ (Kahlil Gibran).

At the age of 63, in August 2008, the author withdrew from the practice of law to go back to Kindergarten and observe his wife, Karen, commence her 33rd consecutive year teaching Kindergarten in Room 1 at Grover Beach Elementary School and where, over the next three years, until her retirement in June of 2011, he confirmed her beatific nature, the majesty of her teaching and the beauty of the angels in her care. The one hundred and eighty-four stories in this book are a tribute to a magnificent teacher and her little angels. WHERE ABRAHAM LINCOLN DIED In the week of, and before, Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, Karen gave the angels a brief synopsis of the life and importance of Abraham Lincoln, to help explain why he is so revered in American life and forever remembered by the glorious Lincoln Memorial and the national day of celebration to honor his birth. She told them about his childhood in a log cabin; his love of learning, reading by the flickering light of a candle; his prowess as a rail splitter; his exceptional ability as a lawyer; how he became president of the United States; how his leadership won the Civil War; how he freed the slaves; his indelible speeches at Gettysburg and at the second inaugural; and how he was killed just after the war had ended, shot by John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, DC. Immediately after Karen finished, an inattentive angel asked: “Is he still alive?” Another angel spontaneously responded: “He died at the movies.”

At the age of 63, in August 2008, the author withdrew from the practice of law to go back to Kindergarten and observe his wife, Karen, commence her 33rd consecutive year teaching Kindergarten in Room 1 at Grover Beach Elementary School and where, over the next three years, until her retirement in June of 2011, he confirmed her beatific nature, the majesty of her teaching and the beauty of the angels in her care. The one hundred and eighty-four stories in this book are a tribute to a magnificent teacher and her little angels. WHERE ABRAHAM LINCOLN DIED In the week of, and before, Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, Karen gave the angels a brief synopsis of the life and importance of Abraham Lincoln, to help explain why he is so revered in American life and forever remembered by the glorious Lincoln Memorial and the national day of celebration to honor his birth. She told them about his childhood in a log cabin; his love of learning, reading by the flickering light of a candle; his prowess as a rail splitter; his exceptional ability as a lawyer; how he became president of the United States; how his leadership won the Civil War; how he freed the slaves; his indelible speeches at Gettysburg and at the second inaugural; and how he was killed just after the war had ended, shot by John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, DC. Immediately after Karen finished, an inattentive angel asked: “Is he still alive?” Another angel spontaneously responded: “He died at the movies.”

A remarkable story of survival and of a risky escape out of the iron curtain to the open world, with poetic brilliance, the Leave The Land You Love, Love The Land You Live is really a memoir that will never steal away from your mind and heart. Leaving the Vietnam fatherland he loves, the former home-arrested resident of Danang lingered as a boat people refugee in Hong Kong transit centers for 15 months. The author finally settles down as an information technology senior engineer in Baltimore, Maryland to love the new land he lives in.

A remarkable story of survival and of a risky escape out of the iron curtain to the open world, with poetic brilliance, the Leave The Land You Love, Love The Land You Live is really a memoir that will never steal away from your mind and heart. Leaving the Vietnam fatherland he loves, the former home-arrested resident of Danang lingered as a boat people refugee in Hong Kong transit centers for 15 months. The author finally settles down as an information technology senior engineer in Baltimore, Maryland to love the new land he lives in.

This is a true story given from first-hand accounts that compelled me to speak out after losing faith in a system that I fought so hard to uphold with honor and integrity. A broken system that allowed Ahmad Cherry to walk away free from facing any charges for shooting my brother. A broken system where investigators failed to rectify the lies on all of the reports that enabled Cherry to keep his freedom and also allowed the officer who failed to do his job on that fateful night to walk away with a full disability pension, while Dan struggles to make it through each and every day. For Dan there will never be justice. A broken system where supervisors can bring false charges against you just so they can fire you. A broken system where the head of Internal Affairs openly admits he was ordered to fire people without investigating them. A broken system where corrupt officers would rob drug dealers, plant drugs on people and commit home invasions on people, taking their freedom from them. A broken system where you report misconduct on these officers but instead of investigating them, they hold a witch hunt for a good officer because he complained about a supervisor placing false charges on him. For me, the system will forever be BROKEN.

This is a true story given from first-hand accounts that compelled me to speak out after losing faith in a system that I fought so hard to uphold with honor and integrity. A broken system that allowed Ahmad Cherry to walk away free from facing any charges for shooting my brother. A broken system where investigators failed to rectify the lies on all of the reports that enabled Cherry to keep his freedom and also allowed the officer who failed to do his job on that fateful night to walk away with a full disability pension, while Dan struggles to make it through each and every day. For Dan there will never be justice. A broken system where supervisors can bring false charges against you just so they can fire you. A broken system where the head of Internal Affairs openly admits he was ordered to fire people without investigating them. A broken system where corrupt officers would rob drug dealers, plant drugs on people and commit home invasions on people, taking their freedom from them. A broken system where you report misconduct on these officers but instead of investigating them, they hold a witch hunt for a good officer because he complained about a supervisor placing false charges on him. For me, the system will forever be BROKEN.

“What’s Going on?!?”: An Experiential Guide to Modern Living for the Individual is a collection of a number of manuscripts relating to the experiences, triumphs, and struggles of an average man into a flowing narrative that gives its reader a surfboard to ride the waves of life. Detailing the elements that make contemporary living so daunting and pulsating, it begins to uncover the illusions that distort our perceptions of our vibrant lives. This work is part memoir, part guide, and part entertainment; it is a single source for the layman to help understand the world as we know it. It will both amuse and stimulate its readers as they travel along for a journey through its pages that reveals some of the incredible mysteries that are at the heart of the human condition. WARNING: This manuscript contains graphic images of fish & game harvesting/processing; viewer discretion is advised.

“What’s Going on?!?”: An Experiential Guide to Modern Living for the Individual is a collection of a number of manuscripts relating to the experiences, triumphs, and struggles of an average man into a flowing narrative that gives its reader a surfboard to ride the waves of life. Detailing the elements that make contemporary living so daunting and pulsating, it begins to uncover the illusions that distort our perceptions of our vibrant lives. This work is part memoir, part guide, and part entertainment; it is a single source for the layman to help understand the world as we know it. It will both amuse and stimulate its readers as they travel along for a journey through its pages that reveals some of the incredible mysteries that are at the heart of the human condition. WARNING: This manuscript contains graphic images of fish & game harvesting/processing; viewer discretion is advised.

My roller-coaster true life story about a multi talented singer musician comedian, earth tone American born and raised in Portland Oregon bullish upbringing sense of not belonging not worthy, metastasizing into a wall of hopeless resentment, leading to a rebellious systematic journey, of grapefruit relationships. Bogus military marriage followed by a dysfunctional relationship in College, as well as with the internship in the Fire department program. Accepting my allergic reaction to alcohol as my master, falling in love with manipulative female operators, which I respectfully call strange grapefruits! Starting all over again, relocating biracial romance to the Pacific Oregon coast, city of Seaside, working my way up to supervisor of the Seaside's oceanfront most popular hotel, I bite off more than I can chew, when I am a constant target, of police brutality unconventional bully racism for eleven consistent months. When the newlywed bride and I am cornered against a deadly force of racist bikers,fuming from an all out melee at a private new year's wedding reception. Elevated to instantaneous hero status,Seaside police do a about face three hundred and sixty degree turnaround of civil treatment, towards me only to be face with another two and a half years of constant death threats, from a well known biker gang out of Portland Oregon, unjustified racist revenge only to be cornered by biker bully's again, arrested charged with another infraction again only to gain not guilty self defense twice, double jeopardy in a court of law, due to racism in the state of Oregon, Justified license to kill in the eyes of the court of law.

My roller-coaster true life story about a multi talented singer musician comedian, earth tone American born and raised in Portland Oregon bullish upbringing sense of not belonging not worthy, metastasizing into a wall of hopeless resentment, leading to a rebellious systematic journey, of grapefruit relationships. Bogus military marriage followed by a dysfunctional relationship in College, as well as with the internship in the Fire department program. Accepting my allergic reaction to alcohol as my master, falling in love with manipulative female operators, which I respectfully call strange grapefruits! Starting all over again, relocating biracial romance to the Pacific Oregon coast, city of Seaside, working my way up to supervisor of the Seaside's oceanfront most popular hotel, I bite off more than I can chew, when I am a constant target, of police brutality unconventional bully racism for eleven consistent months. When the newlywed bride and I am cornered against a deadly force of racist bikers,fuming from an all out melee at a private new year's wedding reception. Elevated to instantaneous hero status,Seaside police do a about face three hundred and sixty degree turnaround of civil treatment, towards me only to be face with another two and a half years of constant death threats, from a well known biker gang out of Portland Oregon, unjustified racist revenge only to be cornered by biker bully's again, arrested charged with another infraction again only to gain not guilty self defense twice, double jeopardy in a court of law, due to racism in the state of Oregon, Justified license to kill in the eyes of the court of law.

Growing up on a small farm in central Connecticut before World War II brings memories flooding back of simple things like Gramp carefully shaving with his so sharp straight razor. Sink baths. Sliding downhill in a baby’s bathtub. Bib overalls. Uncle Henry getting in trouble. Miss Kelly ruling over the 2nd grade. Mom reading “Bambi” to us boys snuggled in our beds. A walk in the woods that ends at Ferndale Dairy for ice cream. A swift ride on the Double Ripper. Making root beer. Then there are other times that were harder to understand. The destructive hurricane of 1938 that slams Connecticut without warning. The sudden declaration of war. The great Hartford circus fire. It was all part of growing up in a different time.

Growing up on a small farm in central Connecticut before World War II brings memories flooding back of simple things like Gramp carefully shaving with his so sharp straight razor. Sink baths. Sliding downhill in a baby’s bathtub. Bib overalls. Uncle Henry getting in trouble. Miss Kelly ruling over the 2nd grade. Mom reading “Bambi” to us boys snuggled in our beds. A walk in the woods that ends at Ferndale Dairy for ice cream. A swift ride on the Double Ripper. Making root beer. Then there are other times that were harder to understand. The destructive hurricane of 1938 that slams Connecticut without warning. The sudden declaration of war. The great Hartford circus fire. It was all part of growing up in a different time.

Join grandma as she goes back to 1975, when her travels began. Ride, walk, fly or sail with her and explore the vastness and richness of the world. Visit the countryside, the cities, states and countries endowed with beauty and splendor; experience unique, new places full of surprises. Be awed by magnificent buildings, structures and ruins of the ancient world. Bask in the warm sunshine and the white beaches of the Caribbean or the Pacific Islands. Be enthralled by the magic of the Mediterranean sunsets, or marvel at the breathtaking views of the Alps. Enjoy flying over the blue skies, sail on the calm, smooth seas, or endure the turbulent oceans on modern ships with friendly crew who would pamper you with everything they have to offer. On the other hand, accept the fact that traveling is not all fun. In pursuing pleasure, problems are inevitable, as grandma’s travels indicate. Don’t be discouraged. If you like to travel, go for it, when and while you can.

1996, San Francisco, CA I reached up and grabbed my boss's boney little shoulders and shook him trying to make my point. He looked at his secretary, who was standing nearby, and said "You're a witness. I've just been harassed." I didn't realize at that moment that this would be the end of my career with El Paso Natural Gas and that I would soon be on my way to exciting new adventures in New Mexico. Or that these adventures would include a booth at the Tesuque Flea Market and a log cabin with a curse.