I'm a dad

On September 23, 2007 at 6:21 a.m., I became a father. My son, Joseph Alessandro, arrived after 41 weeks of pregnancy, 23 hours at the hospital, 12 hours of active labor and a quick 10 minutes of actual pushing.
It was, in a word, amazing. I know, I know. Everyone who has had a child has said that. But, there's a reason. It's true.
I can't really describe much of the experience without sounding trite and...well, corny. The actual childbirth was part Discovery Channel documentary, part Family Channel drama and part episode of MASH. The event was all...miracle is such an overused word. Let's just say it was the most emotional, wondrous incident I've ever lived through.
Joseph and mommy are doing quite well. We got home only today in the afternoon. That was a lot longer in the hospital than we anticipated. There was nothing wrong, but it's Johns Hopkins policy to keep mother and child two nights. They are extremely cautious, health and safety conscious. It makes you feel very secure.
Joseph has a blend of our looks, though Rae thinks he looks more like me. He has what appear to be light brown eyes, but as a newborn, they could shift still. Personally, I think they're going to go hazel. He has long, dark, straight hair so far, and his skin tone is pretty close to that of his mom's.
He's absolutely adorable. So much so that hospital staff occasionally seemed to be caught by surprise. Rae thinks they're good at that by now and probably do that with all parents, but I think it was genuine.
So now we're home. He's feeding every hour and a half to two hours, which is wearing on mom, but she's holding up okay. But that leaves me to do, essentially, everything else. On top of that, I have a book deadline for Palladium at the end of the week. I have to get the last few items from my writing partner, merge it all together, edit and prep for send-off by Saturday. Fortunately, I have the week off. I have a feeling it will go all too quickly.
But I'm happy. Happy on a level I've never been before.
Even though it feels like the end of something, and that we've reached a destination, I know it's just the beginning. I look forward to the trip.

The Very Strange Confession of Walter G. Haut

Okay, here's one for the conspiracy theorists to crow about. Everyone is familiar with the Roswell Crash of 1947 and the claims of Ufologists that it was a downed UFO. Everyone's also familiar with the government's story that it was a weather balloon...then admitting there was a cover-up of...a weather balloon.
Well, a new wrinkle has been added to this story, one that strongly supports the "little green men" theory.
In 2002 the Roswell base public information officer from 1947, Walter G. Haut, signed a sealed affidavit to be released only after his death. In it, well...read for yourself. It's pretty damning. It's unlikely that he's lying. Deathbed confession from a respected soldier who was entrusted with public information distribution of (at that time) the only nuclear capable air wing in the United States of America? What's more, he never made mention of the bodies or craft in any previous discussions, being fairly tight-lipped on the incident.
Pretty much, the only defense skeptics have in this instance is to call him a liar. And who's going to buy that a deathbed confession from this guy, which in no way profits himself or his family, and fits perfectly with fulfilling his secrecy oaths, just decided to leave the world with a lie?
That's almost as wild as the idea of aliens. At least we know with all the stars in the galaxy and all the planets we're finding that alien life is extremely likely. The odds of this guy just arbitrarily leaving a lie behind as legacy are much lower.
Note that the affidavit was created in 2002, and Haut died in 2005. It was opened in 2006 and its existence became known just this year.

2002 SEALED AFFIDAVIT OF WALTER G. HAUT
DATE: December 26, 2002
WITNESS: Chris Xxxxxx
NOTARY: Beverlee Morgan

(1) My name is Walter G. Haut

(2) I was born on June 2, 1922

(3) My address is 1405 W. 7th Street, Roswell, NM 88203

(4) I am retired.

(5) In July, 1947, I was stationed at the Roswell Army Air Basein Roswell, New Mexico, serving as the base Public Information Officer. I had spent the 4th of July weekend (Saturday, the 5th,and Sunday, the 6th) at my private residence about 10 miles north of the base, which was located south of town.

(6) I was aware that someone had reported the remains of a downed vehicle by midmorning after my return to duty at the base on Monday, July 7. I was aware that Major Jesse A. Marcel, head of intelligence, was sent by the base commander, Col. William Blanchard, to investigate.

(7) By late in the afternoon that same day, I would learn that additional civilian reports came in regarding a second site just north of Roswell. I would spend the better part of the day attending to my regular duties hearing little if anything more.

(8) On Tuesday morning, July 8, I would attend the regularly scheduled staff meeting at 7:30 a.m. Besides Blanchard, Marcel;CIC [Counterintelligence Corp] Capt. Sheridan Cavitt; Col. JamesI. Hopkins, the operations officer; Lt. Col. Ulysses S. Nero,the supply officer; and from Carswell AAF in Fort Worth, Texas, Blanchard's boss, Brig. Gen. Roger Ramey and his chief of staff, Col. Thomas J. Dubose were also in attendance. The main topic of discussion was reported by Marcel and Cavitt regarding an extensive debris field in Lincoln County approx. 75 miles NW ofRoswell. A preliminary briefing was provided by Blanchard about the second site approx. 40 miles north of town. Samples ofwreckage were passed around the table. It was unlike any material I had or have ever seen in my life. Pieces which resembled metal foil, paper thin yet extremely strong, and pieces with unusual markings along their length were handled from man to man, each voicing their opinion. No one was able to identify the crash debris.

(9) One of the main concerns discussed at the meeting waswhether we should go public or not with the discovery. Gen.Ramey proposed a plan, which I believe originated from his bosses at the Pentagon. Attention needed to be diverted from the more important site north of town by acknowledging the other location. Too many civilians were already involved and the press already was informed. I was not completely informed how this would be accomplished.

(10) At approximately 9:30 a.m. Col. Blanchard phoned my office and dictated the press release of having in our possession a flying disc, coming from a ranch Northwest of Roswell, andMarcel flying the material to higher headquarters. I was to deliver the news release to radio stations KGFL and KSWS, and newspapers the Daily Record and the Morning Dispatch.

(11) By the time the news release hit the wire services, my office was inundated with phone calls from around the world. Messages stacked up on my desk, and rather than deal with the media concern, Col Blanchard suggested that I go home and "hideout."

(12) Before leaving the base, Col. Blanchard took me personally to Building 84 [AKA Hangar P-3], a B-29 hangar located on theeast side of the tarmac. Upon first approaching the building, I observed that it was under heavy guard both outside and inside. Once inside, I was permitted from a safe distance to first observe the object just recovered north of town. It was approx. 12 to 15 feet in length, not quite as wide, about 6 feet high,and more of an egg shape. Lighting was poor, but its surface did appear metallic. No windows, portholes, wings, tail section, or landing gear were visible.

(13) Also from a distance, I was able to see a couple of bodies under a canvas tarpaulin. Only the heads extended beyond the covering, and I was not able to make out any features. The heads did appear larger than normal and the contour of the canvas suggested the size of a 10 year old child. At a later date in Blanchard's office, he would extend his arm about 4 feet above the floor to indicate the height.

(14) I was informed of a temporary morgue set up to accommodate the recovered bodies.

(15) I was informed that the wreckage was not "hot"(radioactive).

(16) Upon his return from Fort Worth, Major Marcel described tome taking pieces of the wreckage to Gen. Ramey's office and after returning from a map room, finding the remains of a weather balloon and radar kite substituted while he was out of the room. Marcel was very upset over this situation. We would not discuss it again.

(17) I would be allowed to make at least one visit to one of the recovery sites during the military cleanup. I would return tothe base with some of the wreckage which I would display in my office.
(18) I was aware two separate teams would return to each site months later for periodic searches for any remaining evidence.

(19) I am convinced that what I personally observed was some type of craft and its crew from outer space.

(20) I have not been paid nor given anything of value to make this statement, and it is the truth to the best of my recollection.

Signed: Walter G. Haut
December 26, 2002
Signature witnessed by:Chris Xxxxxxx