 The Shaffer Journal
Volume 9 † Issue 4 † April 2003
[Internet Stuff] [Hockey Puck] [The Mountains of Ao]
[Poetry Corner] [The Dull Stuff] [Guest Articles] [In The Keys]
Kitty Talk
These journals are dedicated to Kitty GreyCat's spirit. She is at RainBow Bridge now along with her human friend, Leo. We all loved you, Kitty! Click the cat graphic to visit her Memorial page. Kitty born June 6, 1982. Died July 9, 1997. Please fill out our email form below to tell us how we are doing or make suggestions. >^..^<  Ebony: Meow, all use beans and especially the cats. Ignore them dumb dawgs though. My boyfurrfriend, Ren, is pictured at the right below. To Ren's right in the picture is Pookie, who is black cat too. Pookie is reported not to be just as bad as Abby because he a black cat. Then in the back of the picture is that taco dawgie. It scared, tiny, just way dawgs should be. >^..^<
Abby: I is going to ignore Ebony. All them black cats are alike thinking so highly of them selves. I nose I is the bestest white cat anywhere. When human bean come home with a big tray of food from the park annual party, I went wild with anticipation. Human bean was eating and ignoring my begging. I had to act like a deranged dawg to get his attention. Then he shredded some yummy chicken. I ate that up so very fast like. I loves chicken. It tastes so good and I always want more yummy chicken, I do indeed.>^..^<
 Ebony: I always did think you was full of chicken, you fathead Abby. Anyhoot, I have some deep thoughts on our regular visitor that big, green lizard. I been thinking of a good name for that lizard. I going to call it Lunch or Yum Yum. I keep trying to sneak up on it, but that lizard is fast even with a long tail.>^..^<
Abby: I purrfurr watching while Ebony hunting for stuff. That be so much more funner. Then when she catches something, I can go steal it and play with it. More funner is tail vibrating grocery day. I get really excited and bug eyed. I nose what day it is too, Windydays. When human bean bring the grocery sacks inside, I get inside each one and rummage around looking for the chickie nummies. Finally, human bean gets the soft chickie treaties out and puts them in the smaller bowl. I gobble them up and fill my tummy with yummies.>^..^<
Ebony: I think Abby is full of stuffers besides yum yums. What be more exciting is standing on the seawall and seeing the sea and all them weird creatures what not mind being wet. Then I got Donna and other peoples petting me and telling me how purrity I is. It be all true too. After coming inside, I feel so good about life in general I get in the bathtub and chase imaginary stuff. The bathtub has to be dry for imaginary chasing stuffers though.>^..^<
Abby: I always coming running when you chasing imaginary stuffers. I never nose what mischief you up to.>^..^<
Ebony: I never get into mischief. I did chase after a green pea human bean dropped. I smelled the green pea. It smelled good, but I decided not to eat it. I think Kitty used to like green peas for eating that is. She weird.>^..^<
Abby: I batted the green pea around some, but I not nose what it was really. I rather bat paperwads around. That be loads of fun getting human bean to throw paperwads for me to fetch and bring back and repeat again.>^..^<
Ebony: Use full of stuffers. I do have to admit to batting the paperwad till I members I is an adult kitty. I got loads more dignity than Abby does. I nose what dignity is too. Abby thinks it what you do in cat litter.>^..^<
Abby: Yes, right, Eb. You were outside with me lusting after every bird within our sights. And use as peeved as I was with human bean being gone so much and not loving on us every second of every day. So take that.>^..^<
Ebony: I not a scaredy cat like use. I greet all visitors. You run and hide. I can lay on my back in the bathtub relaxing. I like belly rubs. Use just full of chicken feathers and jealous of my purrfect cat life.>^..^<
Abby: Use a bug and a toad. Hiss. I had my birthday March 17th and Eb never even meowed happy birthday to me. I be 40 human bean ears now. Eb just lays there, while I stir things up. I'm the better cat, I nose that. I was the one that started making bean bring us inside when it hot and let us out five minutes later and do it all over again. Eb scratches a chunk of old wood. I like to scratch and rub on a pair of old human bean jog shoes. So, all in all, everyone now noses that I, Abby, the white cat is the bestest of all time. Meanwhile, meow more next month. You all take care and love your pets. Don't let Ebony fool with your mind either. She not nose nothing.>^..^<
Internet Stuff
The DVD films from http://www.netflix.com are packed with extras and full of good entertainment. Netflix lately has delivered way too many bad DVDs. The lead time between shipments has been too long as well. With a new distribution center in South Florida now, I expect quicker shipments at least. Road to Perdition was an excellent period movie starring Tom Hanks. Behind Enemy Lines was good but predictable. What Lies Beneath was subtle, creepy, and Hitchcockian. Harrison Ford did a fine acting job. Eddie Murphy's The Adventures of Pluto Nash was lift Sci-Fi fun. Hannibal starring Anthony Hopkins was deep, dark, and grizzly. My Big Fat Greek Wedding was seriously funny and full of life, a very well done film. Signs was an excellent Sci-Fi movie with Mel Gibson acting. K-19: The Widowmaker was an interesting film about a Russian submarine with reactor problems. The Color of Paradise was a very fine foreign film with super cinematography. The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys starred Jodie Foster as a nun with an artificial leg. The Sci-Fi Channel showed Frank Herbert's Children of Dune in a series of movies. The Sci-Fi Channel has a number of high quality, original films in the pipeline. Several websites were useful this month. Interesting jewelry, accessories, and tools can be found at Tribaletic at http://www.tribalectic.com. An interesting and related story can be found at the web address as follows: http://www.bmezine.com/pierce/09-male/pa/A30328/pamybrot.html. You can find the City of Marathon website at http://www.ci.marathon.fl.us/core.html and that URL might change slightly April 15, 2003. The city's website is due for a big update so that it will be very interactive and serve the interest of city citizens. The web address of http://groups.msn.com/OLYGOLD is a forum serving sailors past and present of the great ship USS Oldendorf [DD972]. The Oldendorf is scheduled for decommissioning very soon. That will make the third of five ships that I served on being decommissioned. Somehow that makes me feel very old and dated. There isn't a site for that! In The Keys
In a continuing series on Gulfstream Trailer Park & Marina situated in the City of Marathon, Florida Keys, I submit the following editorial paragraph: The owners of our trailer park are fine people who legally have rights, but what about the morality and ethics of the situation? I thought that serving my country in several different wars and numerous other conflicts would earn me nothing but respect and a good life. That proposition has come into question lately. The thought of being forced out of my home and seeing the destruction of my community has me sick at heart. I moved here because of the community character. I fully expected that I would be able to spend the rest of my life here among my friends in paradise. That doesn't seem true anymore. Paradise is only for those who have money it seems. Better yet, you have to be a developer to have any rights I guess. What happened? Gulf War II has started, God help us. I was there for Gulf War I before, during, and after, getting maybe four hours sleep per night for a solid nine months. A long time ago, I was very young when I was serving in the Viet Nam theatre. I wasn't too scared, but I was dumb. Lebanon, Gulf War I, and Haiti were a bit scarier, since I was smarter and knew too much. Still, the military did the job assigned to it. During this current Iraqi war, the men and women over there will give their lives and suffer wounds and be subject to capture to allow protesters their rights of liberty. Personally, I believe we can't suffer even the possibility of another Hitler. I also find it rather disconcerting that instead of names and faces as it was early in the war, casualties are just numbers on a list now. And that is not even counting the Iraqis themselves. War is never the answer, but sometimes the only one left to us. I hate to turn on the television anymore, but I can't resist doing so. I can only say God bless the USA. Miscellany: Thanks to the annual winter park party people for the extra large tray of food saved for me while I was working at Boot Key Bridge. Actually, there was so much food that it fed me for days. Thanks to Dave Campbell for replacing my leaky toilet with a nice, shiny new one, but, boy, those puppies are expensive! No thanks to Dave Irwin for wanting me to do all the dirty work in fixing my boat. Hell, what am I paying him for? Phil Quinsland has come to the rescue though regarding the boat. Maybe I will be back on the water someday. Thanks to Jack Sheets for getting me into the American Legion Post 154. I was a member of the VFW, but that is way in Key West. I like to stay in Marathon, don't you know. No thanks to the newspapers The Keynoter and The Key West Citizen for NOT delivering more newspapers than were delivered this month! No thanks to the weather for March being the hottest March in South Florida in 100 years. Can you believe that? Thanks to Wayne Herr for watching out for two porpoises who had beached themselves near Boot Key Bridge. As it turns out though, they were just getting some dinner. Go figure. No thanks to Herman the German for being so mean and nasty. O, well, you can't please everybody. Thanks to all the other homeless folks who are friendly and very kind. And don't forget to spring forward on April 6, 2003, to accommodate Eastern Standard Daylight Savings Time. Lastly, Art Lovers Gallery has art, supplies, and sculptures to satisfy one's artists desires. The gallery is located at 82245 Overseas Highway in downtown Islamorada. The gallery is open daily from 10 AM to 6 PM. Poetry Corner
“The Blood Red Sun” 03.09.03
by L. E. Shaffer © 2003 L. E. Shaffer An afternoon, warm
And forlorn
Hot and lazy
The sun bloody
And dragon low
Looming large
Upon distant
Oceanic horizon
Into the mouth
Of the river
Deep and wide
Waters cool, clear
Drifting death,
Barge full
Of mourning
And lamentations
Beating down
Upon them
The blood red
Sun crying tears
For the one
Who from the
Beginning saved
Us all, time
And time again
The silent river
Upon that blood
Into that red sun © 2003 L. E. Shaffer Hockey Puck
The Swiss won over the Kiwis in the best of nine America's Cup! O, boy, almost time for the Stanley Cup playoffs in the NHL. March madness has struck, but I am not mad about it. Tiger has won three tournaments before Augusta, which should allow women members by the way. In NASCAR, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr, and Bill Elliot have done well overall. The L. A. Lakers will manage to make the NBA playoffs again and possibly win their fourth consecutive championship. The MLB preseason has started, yawn. The NFL Miami Dolphins are interested in the San Diego Chargers Seau, while Dallas Cowboys running back Smith might become a Cardinal. Guest Articles
We have various guests this journal. As always everything is copyright of the author. Internet Solutions We provide a number of services from web hosting to search engine maintenance. Search engine services are one of our most popular items. Thanks.
Senaka La Palme
S. La Palme Designs (R)
Internet Solutions
Visa, MasterCard, AMEX Accepted
Toll Free 1-877-773-2348
http://www.slapalmedesigns.com © 2003 S. La Palme Designs (R) WebRingExpert 1: AN EXCELLENT EMAIL LIST FOR RINGMASTER AND RING MEMBERS
I wanted to alert you to an excellent email list for both RingMasters and ring members, as well as others interested in the webring movement. It is the World of Webrings list (yeah, operated by the same group having the graphics/logo contest above). You can see it at: http://WebringWorld.org/list. There is a link there to the list archives, and a place for you to join. Unlike some lists and forums, this one is about webrings of all different systems. It also permits a very open and lively, uncensored discussion. And it features some of the most prominent webring experts on the net.
2: MY WEBRINGS
I want to encourage you to check out MY webrings in the WebRing.com system and perhaps join one. You can see the complete list at http://www.JamesSHuggins.com/h/rng5/wdc_all_my_webrings.htm.
3: AN EXCELLENT ARTICLE ABOUT WEBRING.COM
I wanted to call your attention to an excellent article at Salon.com entitled The Strange Saga of Yahoo and WebRing http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2001/12/05/webring/index.html or http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2001/12/05/webring/print.html. In addition to quoting and linking to prominent members of the ringmaster community, it quotes me! (Ok. I admit it; I'm tooting my own horn here). But not just me. And it is not just about Yahoo. It also talks about the transition away from Yahoo, and even quotes Tim (the new "owner")/It is a good article and I encourage you to check it out.
4: MY HELPPAGES
Finally, I wanted to let you know about my help section on the New WebRing System: WebRing.com Help Pages http://www.WebRingDotComHelp.org. And, I wanted to tell you to let me know if there is something YOU think I should add there. James S. Huggins WebRingExpert@WebRingExpert.com
Winner of the October 2002 H. G. Ripe Award
Winner of the September 2002 NovaSite! of the Month http://www.netnacs.com/novasite/current.htm
And, don't forget to check out my ezine http://www.JamesSHuggins.com/snippets
PPS: Don't forget to check out MY webrings. I'd love to have you join http://www.JamesSHuggins.com/h/rng5/wdc_all_my_webrings.htm © 2003 James S. Huggins Greetings from OLY! My name is LTJG Lauren Symmes and I am the Decommissioning Coordinator. Yes, it is true...in case you have not heard, the best Sprucan in the Navy (we just won the Battle E for the 2nd year in a row!!!) will be decommissioned on June 20th here in San Diego. In order to honor OLY's 25 year history, we would like to have as many former OLY Sailors as possible in attendance at the ceremony. So if you are interested in attending or would just like to get more information, please feel free to contact me at symmeslm@oldendorf.navy.mil or by phone at (619)556-3963 (Quarterdeck phone number). Also, please feel free to spread the word to any former shipmates who are not on this list. Thank you.
Sincerely,
LTJG Lauren Symmes
Decom Coordinator © 2003 Symmes Steelwerks Jewelry  Steelwerks is the premiere body jewelry manufacturer in North America. All of their products are handcrafted to high quality standards. Steelwerks reputation has gained recognition from the Association of Professional Piercers as well as the Quebec Arts Council. The telephone number is 1-514-286-2606, while the fax number is 1-514-286-1428. The website is at http://www.steelwerksextreme.com. This unique company features, among other artists and artworks, the art of Jerome Abramovitch, endorsed by freaks and supermodels worldwide! The website for that is at http://chapter9photography.com. Another nice specialty is custom Flex Prince's Wands.
© 2003 Steelwerks Jewelry LTD. 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
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www.RunesofAo.com/roa/
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www.RunesofAo.com/abby/ Publication date: March 28, 2003
Author: L. E. Shaffer
Company: Shaffer Novels/Poetry Company &
Shaffer Internet Publishing Company
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Email Reminder" in the subject line. [Previous Journal] [Journal Index] [Next Journal] For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed—the one who brings destruction. 4 He will exalt himself and defy every god there is and tear down every object of adoration and worship. He will position himself in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God. 5 Don’t you remember that I told you this when I was with you? 6 And you know what is holding him back, for he can be revealed only when his time comes.
7 For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way. 8 Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will consume with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. 9 This evil man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. 10 He will use every kind of wicked deception to fool those who are on their way to destruction because they refuse to believe the truth that would save them. 11 So God will send great deception upon them, and they will believe all these lies. 12 Then they will be condemned for not believing the truth and for enjoying the evil they do.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996. |
