Guest Meows!
This is Larry for Ariel. She and her three cats, Atom, Dinky, and Emily, gave us some wonderful Cat Chat articles this month. [Harry is at Rainbow Bridge now.] We are gratified that we can offer this regular article about some wonderful cats and their human beans with visits by a dragon! Please visit the Memorial Page for Ariel's mother. Click the cat wagging its tail graphic to visit their net home. Thank you. Now here is Chester the dragon, Atom, Dinky, and Emily with Cat Chat:

Cat Chat 12-07-02
Da Meanin Ub No

Dinky: Dar be dis word what me habs neber really paid much tenshun to befur cause it were neber talked to me, not hardly eber hardly. An but me’s decided me doesn’t like dis word atall, cause now here lately it’s bein talked to me a lot a lot by Mom an eben Mom2 sometime, an me doesn’t like it talked to me atall!

Chester: And what word would that be—not that I can’t guess. Heehee!

Dinky: How could yous nose what be da word me’s talking bout?

Emily: We all nose what word yous is talking about. Da word is “no.”

Dinky: How did you nose dat?

Emily: Cause yous bin getting in trouble a lot lately—hehee!

Dinky: Dat’s part ub da point. Me’s da baby, me neber eber gets in trouble an da Moms doesn’t eber yell at me. At least day’s not sposed to! Me’s a good boy, me is!

Chester: You’re not a baby anymore, Dinky. You’re nearly a full-grown cat. And you have been tearing up the place an awful lot lately. Your not the little kitty you were, and between you and Atom you do a lot of damage around here.

Dinky: Me’s not doin anyting me habn’t alays done, but now me gets “noed” at fur walking back an fort tween da Moms when day’re eatin…

Chester: Because now you’re so tall you keep sticking your tail in their food!

Dinky: An “noed” at fur when I try to get up on Mom’s desk or da back ub Mom2’s chair…

Chester: Because you’ve gotten too big to get up on those places now, and besides, you’re such a clutz that you fall off of the back of Mom2’s chair all the time and when you do you try to grab her to stop yourself. Those claws of yours are mighty long and sharp and Mom2 is sick of getting scratched up by you trying to grab her.

Dinky: But, well, ok, me nose me falls offen dar a lot…

Emily: Yous fall offen everwhere a lot! Yous a complete nincompoop!

Dinky: Me’s norin yous! Me gots to admits dat dar do seem to be hardly no space atall fur a klitty on da back ub Mom2’s chair no more so as me does fall offen it los an lots. An me nose dat da Moms’ doesn’t like me sticking me claws into dem. Day’s mightly sensitive bout dat. But me doesn’t tink me should get ““noed”” at jus cause me can’t hep but to fall! An too me gets “noed” at ifn me just looks at tings sometime! Like da oder day when me were siting on da Mom litter house ting looking at alla da neat stuffers she habs on dat shelf back dar, and me got “noed” all ober da place. Yous can’t tell me me gots “noed” at cause me is too big fur dat!

Chester: Heehee, no, just too mischevious!

Dinky: Me’s no mischeiver! Me’s a kitty cat! Me doesn’t unnerstand atall why all deese “noes” is comin at me alla time here lately.

Atom: Day’s come at me alla my whole life!

Emily: Yeah, day have fur everyone but fur da Babeee. Rotten wort! Yous jus been too spoiled alla yous life, dat’s all. An yous been “noed” at befur, I’s heared it. Yous just don’t member. Yous don’t member what happened last week! Heehee!

Dinky: Do too! Soma da time anyways. But it don’t matter ifn me’s been “noed” at befur or not. Me don’t like it! An dar’s lots ub oder words dat go wid da “noes” too what me doesn’t like, like “stop” an “get down” an “don’t eben tink bout it!”

Chester: All of those words mean the same thing as “no,” you know. They just elaborate on what you’re being “noesed” at for.

Dinky: One kinda “noes” be more dan enuff “noes” fur me, me meow!

Emily: Me too! “Move” is one laberashun I really hates! Like I isn’t already movin as fast as I wants to!

Atom: Me hates dat one too, but it do keep my tail from getting stepped on ifn da Mom sayin it habs a armful ub bought stuffers! Well, dat is, ifn me does moof, dat is.

Chester: It is wise to get out of the way when one of the Moms comes in with groceries or something. After all of those stairs they have to come up when they get home, all they want to do is put the stuff they are carrying down fast. It’s not a time for cat nor dragon to be lying across their path! I get out of the way as soon as I see them coming.

Atom: Me too! Day gets way too close wid dem feets ub dar’s sometime. Mom is da worst for most stepping on or stumbling over us. Mom2 just tries to watch fur us and cusses. It’s funny, sometime, but too me don’t unnerstand why how come day does dat “move” ting an says alla da “noes” an stuffers. We owns dem, not da oder way round! Day shouldn’t oughta be telling us what to do, me meow!

Emily: Yous meows right dar, Atom! Day gets too big fur dar own tails sometime…ifn day had tails! But yous nose da Moms, day gotta act like day’s in charge soma da time even doe day nose day isn’t.

Chester: That may be, but the fact is, they’re in control of the food. And the door, for those of use who care. And they keep your litter house clean. We have to give them some latitude for all of that.

Dinky: Me doesn’t care ifn we gibs dem labritudes or nuttin like dat. Me jus doesn’t want dem gibin me “noes”! Nor alla da oder words day say at us dat we doesn’t like what means “no and den some.” It gots to stop, me meow!

Emily: Dat’ll be da day! Deese Moms of ours just can’t be trained all da way. Day’s stubborn like dat. I most tawt fur a while dat I could train Mom2 pletely, but I tink Mom’s ways rubbeded off on her. She’s still a sofftouch, but she has plenty ub “no” times too! Mom, doe…Mom habs been round too many push-over kitties what neber serted dar selfs to make Mom nose day was boss. She’ll neber believe dat we owns her alla way. It’s jus da way life is wid some beans sometime. But ifn yous wouldn’t be so mischeviousish alla time yous wouldn’t get “noed” at near half so much!

Dinky: Me keeps telling yous, me neber does nuttin wrong! Me’s a good boy alla time. Me doesn’t nose…

Mom (from the bedroom): Dink! Where’s my hair comb?? Hey, you with the fur!

Dinky: Uh-oh, me better hides quick! (runs out to the deck)

Emily: Mweeheehee! Yeah, right, never does nuttin wrong. Heeheehee! What a maroon!

Cat Chat 12-15-02
Priority Mail

Atom: Wow! Dat one most got me! Mom habs alays bin bad bout trowin da little wrapped up books what she sells at da couch when she gets in a hurry packin, but it seems like da last few days she’s bin in a eggstra big hurry wid her packin!

Dinky: Yeah, fur sure! She alays packed alla da books at oncet, more or less. She’d hab to sit down an rest ifn dar was lots ub dem. But now here dis little bit lately she’s been packin like mad day an night an in between. She’s eben packin on da bed lotsa alla da time after da nice quiet Mom2 goes to bed. Me doesn’t see why Mom habs to disturb me sleepin on da bed to pack her books!

Chester: She packs on the bed so that the sound of the tape coming off of the roll doesn’t disturb Mom2’s sleep. You know Mom2 has trouble sleeping.

Dinky: So does me when dar’s books bein packed on my bed!

Chester: Well, you can sleep any time. I’ve never seen a cat that had trouble sleeping-heehee! I know you: you just fall right back to sleep as soon as Mom is done packing like nothing had happened at all. Mom2 can’t do that, and the sound of the tape is much too loud when Mom is packing on the dresser in the living room.

Emily: Da sound ub da tape is loud anywheres, but it don’t boder me none atall. I don’t hab no trouble atall sleepin true a packing session.

Atom: Me neider so long as me’s not in da line ub fire! But so how come Mom is packin so mad-like here lately? She gets up from her puter an packs every time a new order comes in. She neber did dat befur, she’d wait til she had a few fur dat day an den pack den at oncet, like Dinky said.

Chester: It’s because it’s getting close to Christmas and a lot of the people who are ordering books from Mom are paying for priority mail, and Mom wants to be sure that she gets every book packed that she can before she goes to the post office so the people will get their books before Christmas. Priority mail isn’t as fast as a lot of people think it is, and Mom is always trying to make sure her customers are happy. So for the next week or so she’ll be packing furiously to make sure that all of her customers get their books by Christmas.

Dinky: What difference do it make ifn day get dem by Christmas or not?

Chester: Because they are buying the books as gifts—at least, that’s what one would assume. Lots of people wait until the last minute to shop for Christmas presents and so they are ordering stuff later than they really probably should have. Human people are great procrastinators. But as long as Mom gets the stuff in the mail fast it should all be there in time for gift giving even though the customers bought a bit late. This won’t last long, though. Pretty soon it will be too late for even priority mail to get things somewhere safely before Christmas and Mom will go back to her normal packing routine, I imagine. Of course, there will probably be a slow-down of sales…

Atom: What did yous mean by what yous said, dat piraty mail doesn’t go as fast as people’s tinks it does? Yous said day paid eggstra fur da piraty mail, right? So how come day would pay fur it an not nose how long it takes to get to where day are? Sheesh! Dar goes anoder one!

Chester: It missed you by a mile.

Atom: Only cause me moofed!

Chester: Haha! Well, the priority mail thing…that’s sort of a long story. See, technically priority mail is supposed to take two to five business days—you have to throw in that part, because the post office doesn’t deliver mail on Sundays and anything that remotely resembles a holiday. But back several months ago--gosh, I can’t remember when exactly, it’s been a while—but anyway, sometime not too long ago these nasty human people sent this horrible deadly poison virus stuff through the mail and it was a terrible mess.

Dinky: Yous mean like a virus what comes in da mail on da puter??

Chester: No, this was much worse. An e-mail virus just hurts computers. This virus hurts people! Some who catch the virus even died.

Emily: Human people died from getting mail? Dat’s hurrible, only I don’t understand how that could happen. How can you catch something through mail? I tink dat would be a mail I would even try to catch!

Chester: No one would! But no one knew at first. You see, this virus was in the form of a white powder, a real fine powder too. And paper mail envelopes aren’t very secure, they don’t seal completely unless you tape them up, and this powder got out of the cracks and maybe even through the paper itself. And there were lots of letters, going through a lot of post offices as they went through the mail system. The powder got all over the machinery in the post offices and people there got sick, and some people in the buildings where the letters got delivered got sick too.

Atom: Dat’s jus awful! Why would a people do someting so nasty mean like dat?

Chester: I don’t know, all I know is there are some human people who are really mean and nasty and want to kill other human people. It’s really sick.

Emily: I nosed some hooman peoples was mean, but not dat mean! I can’t imagine wanting to do something to kill people. I wouldn’t have minded giving that stoopid doggie that was here all summer a few more scratches on the nose, but that’s nothing like people trying to kill other people.

Dinky: Not eben closet! Me agrees, it’s hurrble, but what do it hab to do wid piraty mail goin places not as fast?

Chester: Well, ever since then the post office is a lot more careful with the mail, because they don’t want any more contaminated letters to get through, and being more careful make everything run a bit slower. So instead of taking two to five business days priority mail really takes five to seven. Some stuff does make it a bit faster, but a lot doesn’t.

Atom: But da peoples what pay for da piraty mail nose all bout dis, right?

Chester: They know all about the virus, but officially the post office claims that priority mail still only takes two to five days. But if you ask someone who works there they’ll tell you that a lot of the time it takes longer.

Emily: Dat seems pretty tricksy of da post office in a not nice way!

Chester: I agree, but that’s a bureaucracy for you. Or any large corporation. They’ll say things to people even when they know it isn’t true.

Dinky: It seems to me dat deese big buracorpshun peoples isn’t a whole lot nicer dan da ones who sent da nasty virus mail. Maybe a little some, but not much.

Chester: It does make one wonder…

Emily: Wonder what? Da more I nose bout hooman peoples da weirder day gets. And I meows dat fur sure!

Cat Chat 12-22-02
The Christmas Story

Atom: Me lubs dis ting here what Mom put on top ub da TV fur Christmasyness. It’s all colorful-like but it matches, not like da rest ub da house where how nuttin matches atall. Not dat me minds dat, me likes alla da neat stuffers da Moms habs all round, but dis ting here is special fur some reason. It smells neat fur one ting, almost like outdoors stuffers but not...

Dinky: Like old dry outdoors stuffers kinda…

Atom: Yeah, but it’s more dan dat. Me can’t quite put my paw on it. Me wishet Mom would put up da table wid da legs what folds up so as me could look at it more closer!

Chester: That’s rather the point: Mom doesn’t want you to look at it closer. She knows all too well that you have a tendency to decide something is a good toy, grab it and run away with it. She doesn’t want that to happen to the manger scene, because it’s very old and very special to her.

Emily: Heehee, dat’s fur sure! Yous an yous monster wort bruder is alays takin off wid tings what da Moms don’t tink belongs to yous. Ub course, eberyting do belongs to alla us, but sometime we habs to leave da Moms wid a looshun dat dar be some stuffers what be dar’s. Specially ifn it’s someting day is purrticularly attacheded to. Oderwise day gets all upset and starts yelling and stompin round and don’t gibs us Yum-yums. Like dat time when yous tookeded off wid Mom2’s next to last bedroom shoe. Yous’d already stoleded two, an when yous stoleded da tird one she gots furry upset. One bedroom shoe don’t work too well fur beans, I meow. Day habs to hab one fur each foot. We didn’t get Yums fur nearly all day, most two whole hours! Not even me, an I didn’t even do da stoleding! An yous nose why? Cause day nosed dat ifn day gived me Yum-yums you’d come an steal dem like yous alays try to do an yous was in trouble an day didn’t want yous to hab any. Causa yous I had to go two whole hours widout Yums! I’d most furgot to be mad at yous still bout dat! (Swat!!)

Atom: Meow, hey! Dat were long an long ago! Yous mean to hold gruggedes so long like dat. Sheesh!

Dinky: Oh, Addom, yous nose da Queen can’t hep bein mean. Alla dat fat makes her cranky! Heeheehee!

Emily: Hissssppppiiittttt! (Swaattt!!)

Dinky: Haha, missed me!

Emily: Grrrrrrrrrr. Rotten wort! Humph!

Chester: Yeah, wort! You need to find somewhere else to hide when you antagonize Em besides behind me! She almost got me that time!

Dinky: Oh, like she can hurt yous! Yous hide is tougher dan da scratchin tree!

Chester: It’s the principal of the thing.

Atom: Me doesn’t nose nuttin bout principalities, an me doesn’t nose what me an Dink pwaying wid stuffers what is ours anyways has to do wid me wantin to see dat ting up closer, dat, what did yous call it? Da manger scene?

Chester: Yes, that’s what Mom calls it, and your thieving ways have everything to do with why Mom doesn’t want you to get close to it. Like I said, it’s very very special to her.

Dinky: How come, an what odes dat mean, “manger scene?”

Chester: Well, that’s what Mom calls it, and some other people too. And some people call it the Nativity Scene. It’s a depiction of the night Jesus was born, all done in little figurines of the Virgin Mary and Joseph and the Baby Jesus and most of the time the Three Wise Men and other people and animals too. Well, it’s not always made of little figurines. Sometimes it’s made with big ones, and sometimes with really big ones, and I saw on TV how some churches have Nativity Scenes with real people in them.

Dinky: With real people? Like in dem tings day talks bout on TV, like plays?

Chester: Um, sort of, but the people mostly just stand there and there isn’t any dialogue. But I bet it’s neat to see.

Atom: A picshun ub day night Jesus was borneded? Dat is special! Now me really wants to see it up close!

Chester: Well, I’m not sure I should do this, but if you’ll let me pick you up I’ll hold you close to it so you can see. Just no touching, OK?

Atom: OK, yeah, sure! Pick me up! (looks closely at the manger scene) Wow, this is really cool! Dar’s da Tree Wisest Mens an da shepherds an da donkey what Mary rode to dat Bettelhem place. And me see Mary and Joseph an a little baby in a bed of some strange brownish stuffers…

Chester: That’s supposed to be straw, because Jesus was born in a manger.

Dinky: Pick me up too! (peers at the figures) How did da Mary bean fit in dat liddle manger ting to make Jesus borneded? An what’s dat humpy nanimal off to da side?

Chester: Mary didn’t get into the manger, silly! She put Jesus in there after he was born, because it was the only place to make Him a bed. The humpy thing is a camel. There’s lots of camels where Jesus came from.

Atom: Me see a cow back in da corner an lots of sheeps, but none ub da sheeps hab alla dar legs! Is dat so as Jesus can heal dem an make dem whole agin?

Chester: No, He didn’t do that stuff His very first night. The legs are gone because the manger scene is so old, and the sheep’s legs got broken over the years. Mom has had that manger scene since she was a little girl. That’s why none of us are supposed to touch it: she doesn’t want anything to happen to it, because it means so much to her.

Emily: Mom had dat ever since she was little? Why, dat was ages an ages ago, prolly way back when Jesus was here on da Eart! You’d tink he could hab given her a manger scene wid sheep who’s legs didn’t fall off!

Chester (putting the cats down): Hahaha! Mom isn’t that old! Nowhere near! You cats have no sense of real time. Mom’s parents bought the manger scene before she was born, and as soon as she was old enough she would put it up every year. She always loved it. And when Mom went and got her own house, Grandma gave it to her. It’s a specially special part of Christmas for her. I know she’d be devastated if anything were to happen to it.

Atom: Me didn’t nose it were dat special. Me guess it be da bestest ting fur me to leab it alone, fur sure. I’d be da Cat Soup Mom is alays treatenin to make us ifn me accidently knocked a piece down!

Emily: Accidently my tail! You’d be Cat Soup, alright!

Chester: Hmmm, I wonder what Cat Soup tastes like…

Atom: Me won’t touch it! Me promises! Me doesn’t want to be Cat Soup! But…could yous maybe pick me up agin so as me can see da Baby Jesus?

Dinky: Me too!

Chester: Haha, OK, sure. Here you go (Atom and Dinky happily gaze at the Nativity).

Cat Chat 12-30-02
Da Bah-Humbugs

Dinky: Now what’s goin on? Da tree isn’t eben lighted anymore! Sheesh! Mom keeps takin down alla deese interesting tings what she jus put up not hardly a mont ago. Me’s jus gotten used to it all, an habn't eben still got as close a look at soma da stuffers like me want. Why can’t Mom jus put tings one way an leab dem like dat?

Chester: Hahahaha! You know she can’t ever do that! She can’t stand not changing stuff around. But she has a good excuse this time. These are the Christmas decorations and Christmas is over.

Dinky: But why do it habs to be ober? Me likes alla da twinkly lights an neat smellin stuffers an crinkly paper stuffers. Me wants to do it agin!

Atom: Me wouldn’t mind doin da crinkly paper part agin meselfs! Da oder stuffers is nice, eben doe dar’s alots ub “noes” attached to it, but da crinkly paper is alays fun. Me tinks it should be Christmas alla time.

Chester: But if it was Christmas all of the time it wouldn’t be Christmas. You have to have un-holidays in order to have holidays. If every day was a holiday it would all be the same and wouldn’t be fun anymore.

Dinky: Well, maybe dat be true, but it should least last longer dan dis! Mom workeded a long time to put alla da Christmassy stuffers all ober da place. She could at da least leabs dem all dar fur anoder mont at least, doesn’t yous tink?

Emily: Habn’t yous heared dem talking atall? Da Moms is sick of Christmas! Well, not just Christmas, but alla da days and stuffers what makes what day calls: “Da Holidays.” I heared dem say if it were up to dem day would cancel Christmas next year!

Atom: Cancel Christmas! Day can’t do dat, can day? Me mean, Christmas is something what jus happens ebery year. Not eben da Moms can stop it from happenin, cause it happens eberywhere!

Chester: Well, nearly everywhere. It sure happens for all of the human people who sell things, whether they celebrate Christmas or not. And that’s what the Moms mean about canceling Christmas: not celebrating it.

Dinky: Well, dat be jus as bad, me meow! Why wouldn’t dat want to habs alla da food an crinkly paper and pretty shiny tings to look at? Me habn’t had near enuff an it’s been goin on fur weeks an days now. How could da Moms not want it atall?

Chester: You know how tired they got over the holidays. There’s just too much for them to have to do, and they don’t have a lot of energy even for normal days, what with that nasty Chronic Fatigue disease they both have. Mom absolutely collapsed on Boxing Day. She was completely pooped!

Dinky: Well, parently she isn’t so pooped enuff now so as not to take alla da stuffers aways.

Atom: Well, but it’s not all bad, doe. She’s cleanin alla da decoratin stuffers offen our deck table and perch. Dat’s a furry good ting, me meow!

Dinky (peeking out the deck door): Me gots to admit, it’s nice to habs our table an perch back. Me couldn’t see hardly nuttin outside wid alla dat stuffers in da way. But she could still leaf up some ub da oder stuffers!

Emily: Hmmm, I tink maybe yous hit on something, Dink. Maybe alla da decorating stuffers is in dar way. Mom did habs to moof a lot of stuffers to put it all up, and put stuffers what be alays out all togeder all crowded up. Maybe she and Mom2 just wants to hab tings not all crowded up anymore.

Atom: Well, yous might habs a point dar. Dar do be a whole lot ub stuffers in dis house alla da whole year. It could be dat habin alla da eggstra decoratin Christmas stuffers around too might jus make tings be in dar way. But me tinks it be more dan dat, what wid bof ub da Moms talking bout not habin no Christmas atall next year. Me’ll miss da yummy food an crinkly paper fur sure, cept ub course day lefted lots of crinkly paper on my special bed in front ub da TV what will last me long an long. But an dar alays be yummy food ub one sort or anoder round here. An Chester’s right: da whole holiday ting jus sausted da Moms big time. An we all nose dat when day gets too sausteded day jus lay round in bed fur days sometime, an don’t pay near nuff tenshun to us. Day eben sometime get sick from bein so sausteded, an dat’s a real bad ting!

Emily: Yes, dat’s true, I don’t like it when da Moms are sausteded an specially don’t like it when day’s sick. I miss dem and feel sorry for dem all at da same time. Specially my mostest special Mom2. She’s so sick so much of da time as it is, she doesn’t need anyting elset eggstra to make her sick more!

Chester: You have a point there.

Dinky: Yeah, but ifn Mom jus lefted da stuffers up dan she wouldn’t hab to get sausteded takin it all down an putting it away an den takin it all out an puttin it up next year! Does dat not make sense to no one but me?

Chester: It does make sense, if you discount the thing we already discussed: there is already too much stuff in here regular times of the year. But I think the bottom line is they are just sick and tired of Christmas, in fact, of all the holidays, and they don’t want to have to look at all of the Christmas stuff anymore.

Atom: Dar’s a word fur peoples like dat, me’s heard. Party poopers! No, dat’s not it, it’s something more what habs to do wid alla da stuffers what comes wid da holidays cept ub course fur da Jesus bein borneded part. Um…bums? Bahs…

Chester: Bah-humbugs! Heehee! Yep, that’s what the Moms are, alright, bah-humbugs!

Dinky: What’s a bah-humbug?

Chester: It’s from an old old story that’s been made into lots of movies about this guy who refuses to get in the Christmas spirit, and always says: “Bah, humbug” whenever anyone mentions Christmas at all. So someone, like the Moms, who don’t want to celebrate the holidays with all of the stuff that comes with them are called bah-humbugs. Heeheehee!

Atom: Yeah, dat’s da word! Bah-humbugs! Heehee, it is a silly word, but dat’s right purrfect fur da way da Moms is acting now!

Dinky: But me doesn’t want da Moms to be bah-humbugers! Me wants dem to be unbah-humbugers!

Emily: Oh, day prolly will be oncet next Christmas comes close. Peoples can’t help demselfes fur wanting to do celebraty stuffers once da holidays come.

Chester: I think you’re right, but I also think all of the decorating and cooking might well get minimized next year.

Dinky: Minalized? Yous means we won’t habs da pretty tings an da yummy foods eber agin?

Chester: We’ll have some of it, I’m sure, but the Moms are talking about making it all as little and stress-free as possible.

Dinky: Well, as long as we habs some ub it me guess dat’s OK, but me still would like fur Mom to wait jus a little longer to put alla da stuffers away.

Emily: Too late! She’s already taken it all to da barn.

Dinky: Poop! An bah-humbugers too!

Cat Chat is © 1999 - 2008, 2009 Ariel, Emily, Atom, Dinky, Harry, and Chester the Dragon. All rights reserved worldwide. This column may not be reprinted in part or whole without express permission of Ariel.

Poetry Corner
“Silvery Mane” 12.22.02 
by L. E. Shaffer © 2003 L. E. Shaffer

This is where
Horse take flight
Eagles scatter wild
Freedom in the skies

Marc, the eternal
Child of suns
Spirit of moons
Forever young

And there upon plains
Of Mar, heated pools
Life once and gone
Runs the mustang

When sudden there
They meet soul
To endless soul
The stars in the eyes

This was meant
To be since
Before creation
And to Armageddon

Time no more
Love forever
Never ending
The child touches

The silvery mane
Illuminated that
Night by novas
And the dragon fire

© 2003 L. E. Shaffer

Hockey Puck
Major League Baseball seems to be thinking of allowing Pete Rose back into the game. Whether this could be good or otherwise is up for discussion. The Miami Dolphins are in the familiar December swoon yet again. The Florida Panthers still hover around 500. Tiger Woods came in second in the Skins game and the Target World Challenge, even on a bad knee. Lance Armstrong and Serena Williams are AP's athletes of the year. Daytona 500, NASCAR's premiere race, is coming in February. The Los Angeles Lakers are near last place and wondering what happened! America's Cup is coming soon as well. And in college football, we soon will see who will be the champions. I am pulling for Ohio State while many are going to be for the Miami Hurricanes.

Guest Articles
We have various guests this journal. As always everything is copyright of the author.

Initech Solutions

Initech Solutions is a software development company specializing in custom development and application integration for Small to Medium Sized businesses. We have extensive knowledge about integrating business and e-commerce applications with popular software packages including QuickBooks, Act, and Goldmine. Through process automation we reduce redundant tasks and increase data reliability.
Michael Oryszak Initech Solutions, LLC http://www.initech-solutions.com 

© 2003 Initech Solutions, LLC

USS America CV66

Lee E McNulty
10 Summit Avenue
Butler, NJ 07405
Home: 973-838-5696 after 6:00PM
Work: 973-321-0500 ex. 50114

Dear Editor,

I am proud to say that I served aboard the aircraft carrier USS AMERICA CVA66. For some reason or another the USS AMERICA has always kept a low profile. I don’t mean she has not served her country well, on the contrary. The USS AMERICA was the Navy’s work horse. She served her country in the highest tradition with the US NAVY, and with great distinction. Right from the time of the attack by Israeli gun boats and aircraft on the USS LIBERTY (AGTR-5) during the 6 day war, right up to the present just prior to her decommissioning of August 9, 1996. She served 3 tours to Vietnam. During her last deployment to Vietnam the USS AMERICA took part in OPERATION LINEBACKER II. This consisted of non-stop 24 hour raids against the North Vietnamese. This included the famous Christmas raids of 1972 which brought the North Vietnamese back to the bargaining table ending the war and bringing our prisoners of war home. In fact this being the year 2002, all of this was going on exactly 30 years ago.

The USS AMERICA has a rich 31 year history that includes her participation and involvement in every skirmish our country has been involved with. FOR EXAMPLE: Panama, Granada, The Gulf War, and Bosnia. However, it is ironic, that most people in the UNITED STATES has never heard about her. In fact, the USS AMERICA was utilized so much she was decommissioned early, while older ships of her class are still patrolling the world's waters. The USS AMERICA never received the proper overhaul to keep her in service. This was called a Service Life Extension Program or (SLEP). The US Navy kept the USS AMERICA on an active schedule, which allowed no consideration for proper maintenance and upkeep throughout her career. However, the USS AMERICA and all of those who served aboard her remained faithful and loyal fulfilling every designated and assigned missions in the name of the UNITED STATES. Another important fact most citizens do not know is that the USS AMERICA was the NATION’S FLAGSHIP. The USS AMERICA was named by President John F. Kennedy. Now the USS AMERICA sits idly in the Philadelphia Ship Yards.

I am part of an organization THE USS AMERICA MUSEUM FOUNDATION that wants to bring the USS AMERICA to any city that would like to have a state of the art museum and memorial. As well as a state of the art educational facility. We intend to utilize the entire ship, servicing and assisting the educational needs of the people as well as boosting tourism to that city. However, the US NAVY has been unwilling to allow us to save her. All of that information and more about the USS AMERICA may be obtained utilizing the web site below. If anyone is interested, would like to learn more about the USS AMERICA, what has been going in the attempts to save her from the cutting torch, and would like to help, PLEASE look on the INTERNET at the URL of HTTP://WWW.USSAMERICA-MUSEUMFOUNDATION.ORG. There is a section called "PETITION," PLEASE read and sign. If anyone would like to receive a petition to assist us in obtaining signatures, please contact me at leemcnulty@juno.com. I hope you will help before it is too late and this great ship is gone for ever.

Thank you, Lee E McNulty

© 2003 Lee E McNulty

A Cat's Comments

Meow! Ice sew meowfully hippy to see dis place. My human mommy took me here fore to shew mes dere bees kitty furryfriends on de compooter thingy that I's be liken to steps on so it makes dese howly jowly noiseys. Purr. Den meommy be hollerin but Is jest wook up at her and do my twick and she gets a willy silly melty-eyed (when I was an itty bitty kitten-head i learned that my meommy would do things for human bruvffur when he holler "Momma!" or "Mom" sew I figgerd out hows to make sounds alotta wike human bruvffur). ....Butterflies outta windew. Oooooh rrrrowal!  oops! Berry sowwy, anyyowl. My meommy says you migh be wikken to hear my berry exciterating story ov how I came to live wif Meommy, her male-wikes-to-rub-me-head guy, and tall fast human bruvffur boy. I wiekm all berry much! Dey wuvs me really lotta! Meommy sayz dat my stowy be berry berry sad but hab gweat happy ending. And is av uniquie as mes. Happy holidays, and Meowy Xmas. Voodoo Childe

© 2003 Kat McCarty

Jaci Rae Sends

Since the Pledge of Allegiance and The Lord's Prayer are not allowed in most public schools anymore because the word "God" is mentioned....a kid in Arizona wrote the attached NEW School prayer. I LOVE this!

Now I sit me down in school
Where praying is against the rule
For this great nation under God
Finds mention of Him very odd.
If Scripture now the class recites,
It violates the Bill of Rights.
And anytime my head I bow
Becomes a Federal matter now.
Our hair can be purple, orange or green,
That's no offense; it's a freedom scene.
The law is specific, the law is precise.
Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice.
For praying in a public hall
Might offend someone with no faith at all.
In silence alone we must meditate,
God's name is prohibited by the state.
We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks,
And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks.
They've outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible.
To quote the Good Book makes me liable.
We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen,
And the 'unwed daddy,' our Senior King.
It's "inappropriate" to teach right from wrong,
We're taught that such "judgments" do not belong.
We can get our condoms and birth controls,
Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles.
But the Ten Commandments are not allowed,
No word of God must reach this crowd.
It's scary here I must confess,
When chaos reigns the school's a mess.
So, Lord, this silent plea I make:
Should I be shot; My soul please take!
Amen

Jesus said, "If you are ashamed of me, I will be ashamed of you before my Father."

© 2003 Unknown

The Mountains of Ao
Tears from Ao and three poetry collections, Pages of Life, Visions of Life, and Moments of Life are available electronically at http://RunesofAo.com/aobp/. The Runes of Ao project, The Mountains of Ao novel currently in final edit, Twins of the Dark Star novel in early stages, and the The Book of Kalian Mysticism poetry collection are all works in progress. Also a collaboration with K. Young on a novella called Dragon Embers is now published on the fan site known as Runes of Ao.com.

The Dull Stuff
All opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of this magazine or its advertisers. Inputs and letters to this journal are subject to approval by Ebony and Abby. Submittals may be edited for content and become the property for the one-time nonexclusive publication of:

Shaffer Novels/Poetry Company
Merchant Occupational License #48210-0076151
PO Box 501833
Marathon FL 33050-1833
(305) 743-9648 voice/data/fax

Internet URLs: www.RunesofAo.com
www.RunesofAo.com/roa/
www.RunesofAo.com/aobp/
www.RunesofAo.com/ebony/
www.RunesofAo.com/abby/

Publication date: December 28, 2002
Author: L. E. Shaffer
Company: Shaffer Novels/Poetry Company &
Shaffer Internet Publishing Company
© 1995 - 2008, 2009 L. E. SHAFFER
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED WORLDWIDE
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
FIRST PRINTING; ELECTRONIC & PRINT MEDIA

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Pursue a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight for what we believe. Hold tightly to the eternal life that God has given you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses. 13 And I command you before God, who gives life to all, and before Christ Jesus, who gave a good testimony before Pontius Pilate, 14 that you obey his commands with all purity. Then no one can find fault with you from now until our Lord Jesus Christ returns. 15 For at the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of kings and Lord of lords. 16 He alone can never die, and he lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach him. No one has ever seen him, nor ever will. To him be honor and power forever. Amen.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.