 The Shaffer Journal
Volume 9 † Issue 7 † July 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, everybody. We don't have much to meow about this month. The hot is hot and the humid is humid. I like to be outside all the time, but not now. I got to go inside once in a while to cool off. Wanting to be in and out is driving my human bean crazy. I like to drive that bean crazy, I do. I got crazy myself when Squeaky came over from the Tiki Hut to aggravate me. I growled, but he still walked over to where I was at. I growl more. >^..^<
Abby: I was under the trailer watching Ebony growling. Squeaky got closer and closer. I not nose why Ebony not try to chase Squeaky off. So Squeaky comes even closer. Finally, I had enough. I ran out from under the trailer and that Squeaky's eyes got big. I think he did not nose another cat was around. >^..^<
Ebony: Mew, I was shocked when Abby streaked out and Squeaky ran away back to the Tiki Hut. I guess Abby is not such a pest all the time. Once in a while, she might be nice, but she didn't do it for me, I nose. >^..^<
Abby: I chased Squeaky because I am the boss cat at the western point. Even if I have yucky teeth, I am still the queen, boss cat. I chase Ebony too. I do that because it is fun. Ebony is bigger but she runs away from me. >^..^<
Ebony: I don't care. I do care that I have yucky teeth too. I think our next vet visit is going to cost human bean lots of money. I don't like to think of my teeth being cleaned by a vet bean. They can clean your teeth tho. >^..^<
Abby: I not want my teeth cleaned again. I wonder if cheese do that to cat teeth? I like cheese. You don't like cheese. Cheese for me is great. Cheese is not only for mouses. Cheese is for me too. What you stink? >^..^<
Ebony: I don't like you or cheese, you ninnie cat. I didn't even want Cindy Karp, that New York Times photographer, to even take our pictures. I am a very private, shy cat. You are just one big ham bone. >^..^<
Abby: I is not a ham bone! What is that anyway? O, forget it, you just jealous of me. Why when it rains, you go stir crazy, because you can't go outside. The human bean has to take you outside so you can get wet, before you believe it is really raining. All I got to do is look out the window and see it is raining dogs and lizards. >^..^<
Ebony: Use hide when the vacuum cleaner comes out or the weed whacker man gets close, you do. >^..^<
Abby: Yes, but you hide too. You scared of the skitter truck thing just like me. At least I love on the human bean, especially when he was sick. You just want outside. Or you talk to that tomcat in California. He called Ren. You use that computer thing. You are one silly black cat, I meow. I got my fangs and claws in the right place. >^..^<
Ebony: I saw the human bean clip your claws because you were scratching the furniture, you bad cat. >^..^<
Abby: I make human bean happy by chasing and retrieving paper wads. You act too royal and uppity for that. I like rubber bands too. You just a bump on a log and the scratching wood piece you have. I prefer to play in the empty boxes. You even caused bean to spill his remaining chili beans on the steps. Meow, I am tired of all this pawing on the computer and caterwauling. I am going to take a long catnap until next month, I think! >^..^<
Internet Stuff
The DVD films from http://www.NetFlix.com are packed with extras and full of good entertainment. National Security was a funny and unique moving that featured Martin Lawrence. The Pianist film was very well done with extraordinary acting. The movie was set in World War II Warsaw, Poland. Armarcord is a slice of Italian life for a not so typical family. Barbershop was an entertaining film about culture and neighborhood. About Schmidt was a bit boring dealing with a slice of life motif. Tears of the Sun was a gut-wrenching Bruce Willis move about Navy SEALs and one man's journey with morality. Red Dragon is a prequel to Silence of the Lambs, and just as good or even better. Star Trek: Nemesis was okay, but not what is expected from the genre. Secrets of the Heart is a movie about family secrets that was surprisingly good. The best movie of the month was the film called The Hours about three women connected over time through the stream-of-consciousness writings of Virginia Wolf. Several websites were useful this month. This is the photo that New York Times photographer Cindy Karp took of Larry Shaffer in front of his trailer at the western point in Gulfstream Trailer Park and Marina in the Florida Keys. The story by John Leland can be found at the http://NewYorkTimes.com website and searching for Gulfstream Trailer Park or related terms. The article about the plight of trailer parks in general in the Florida Keys was well done. There were a few minor inaccuracies in the article. I will outline them here. I think that I will also include this in the next Gulfstream Association newsletter due the middle of July. There is some question as to whether the association website and newsletter operations will continue as sanctioned by the association or provided pro bono by SIPCO, which is the company that provides such services. If SIPCO takes over the website and newsletters, then the website and newsletters will not be officially sanctioned by the association and ownership of the site, newsletters, and content will revert to SIPCO. The Board of Directors seem reticent in continuing this valuable member service. SIPCO is deciding on whether to continue the service regardless of the Board of Directors. Stay tuned for more information soon. Now to set the record straight on the New York Times article. The developer, Southstar of Tampa, LLC, has plans that show 88 vacation rentals not 83. Typical rentals in the City of Marathon average over $1,300 not $1,000. The amount given to help relocate trailers is not necessarily $6,000, but can vary with circumstances. Plus the fund was only allocated $900,000 this year by the Florida legislature, which is a pittance considering the fund is supposed to cover all of Florida. I moved from Roycroft Trailer Park in Seminole, a city in the Tampa Bay area, because among other reasons most but not all the park was taken over to make room for a new Home Depot. The circumstances reported were not correct. GTPHA, the homeowners association, is currently paid up with the state and, therefore, considered as if it was in continuous existence since inception. This is supported by voluminous case law. The article reported that the association will not have any trouble buying the park, which is true, but each member does not need $50,000. $50,000 is all the association needs to close on financing to buy the park. Lions Lair did not need a lawsuit, as the owner dealt fairly with the association there without resorting to a court battle. I am running for City Council on all the issues not just one. I messed around with http://www.dell.com for months it seemed. I had my removable hard drive fail. Dell sent two internal hard drives. I gave them the right number and described that the unit went into the media bay. Finally, I got the correct part. Now I can do my backups. 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: I am no longer a director of our fine homeowners association, because I will be running for city council. Now that I am not a director, I would like to make some observations that might be helpful. Directors and officers should read Florida Statutes Chapters 719, 720, and 723. Directors and officers should also study Coral Key Village's prospectus. A prospectus is required for any cooperative. Most importantly, directors and officers should know our bylaws backwards and forwards. Our bylaws should be modified according to the input of all members. Our bylaws are already setup for a cooperative like Lions Lair. The proposed budget that Karen Melnick and I put together was given to Larry Cole and should be refined based on the Coral Key Village cooperative. Lions Lair and Sandpiper RV cooperatives both have useful information to share. Best case is $350 per month; worst case is $550 per month. The directors and officers are obligated to keep everyone fully informed by whatever means necessary. That would include the association website and newsletters, but that might not exist for much longer. The current directors and officers have indicated that they do not want to continue the existing association website and newsletters past June 30th. That should be up to all the members really. According to the last set of Board of Director minutes, Rita Hamm will be the editor of any future newsletters. They will come out quarterly. The association should commit to the cooperative plan so that the preparations can be made to buy the park, when the association wins the lawsuit. 45 days is not very long to make all the necessary preparations to buy the park. Part of this process is to get a letter of understanding from a bank agreeable to all members. The last two successful cooperatives used Marine Bank and Josh Mothner as well as lawyer Robert Cintron. A cooperative commits an association corporation to financing, which then does not require individual qualification or loan guarantors. Everyone shares in the ownership and operation of the cooperative ensuring that almost everyone can stay in the park from the few affluent to the fixed income members. Those who put money into the War Chest to complete the deal must be paid back after the closing. That way no one is more or less important or influential than anyone else. There is a reason that the three parks listed in this article went cooperative, because it works and is cheap. The $400,000 [financed in the loan] that would be committed to the operating and reserve funds would be used to pay back the War Chest contributors and pay for big ticket items as well as certain operating requirements. Capital improvements could include repairing the fence and installing a card-operated security gate that would be computer operated and monitored. The roads need a lot maintenance. The docks need restored and properly maintained. The swimming pool and equipment need work. The association needs to set out staffing requirements paid by the hour and contracted to avoid employee expenses but allowing more per hour to the staff. Larry Cole has the proposed budget that will need to be kept current. That budget was based on the law and Coral Key Village's current budget. Putting together these figures is not hard based on what is required. The association President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer should be in the park and not in another state. There are many times that the association must act quickly and efficiently. Officers in other states can cause unwanted problems. Three times in June, even though I was not a director, I had to take action to help the association. One was a lawyer request on who to contact and one was city council related. I have the documentation to prove these assertions. I keep all emails, letters, and telephone conversations. State law and our bylaws require that the Treasurer and any who are authorized to sign checks must have a fidelity bond. Cintron should be consulted to see if this applies now or after we become a cooperative. The association should exploit the proposed nonconforming portion of the Comprehensive Plan. Other parts of this plan need addressed to prevent adverse consequences to our park and others parks in general. Land Development Regulations are important too. The association could also exploit the Habitat for Humanity's program to build homes on lots for $75 above the monthly assessment fee that is like the rent members pay now. State law requires that all members pay their equal share of the cooperative's total expenses. Different rates are not allowed. Property speculation on the part of anyone is illegal, immoral, and totally unethical. Debt service that is paid off would reduce a member's assessment fee. The payoff dollars would be put in escrow to allow the cooperative to continue paying the monthly mortgage payment for the entire park community. The directors need to setup a fair lottery system to allocate lots and docks not committed to year-around members. We need to decide these things now, allowing for a lot of time to do so instead of being rushed. Although this rambles a bit, these are the things that need addressed now and not later to enhance our prospects. The last six weeks or so has seen high heat and humidity every day and night. Couple that with a higher fuel rate and the electricity has been outrageous. The Florida Keys Electric Cooperative [FKEC] reports that the rate for next month will fall about 20%. Expect your electric bills to be significantly reduced. The way electricity is charged at our trailer park is governed by state law and other incidentals. Florida law states that the all utility charges must be a straight pass-through and total only the expenses charged to the park owner and no more. The park owner is charged the kilowatt hours used, the power cost FKEC is charged, customer charges, taxes, common area usage, and last and not least the park owner is charged $7 per meter on the premises. The FKEC customer services representative, T. J. Patterson, told me that bulk rate should be cheaper than direct customers. Also, the rate, which is the amount charged to you each month divided by the total kilowatt hours for that month, should not vary more than a penny a month. Rarely, will the rate vary be more than that. FKEC rates the last 18 months average almost 7˘ per kilowatt hour; my 18 month average rate was a little over 11˘ per kilowatt hour; while some have reported 16˘ per kilowatt hour. After factoring in all the incidentals, then you must decide if you are being charged correctly. If you believe that you are not, then call FKEC customer services who will assist you. The Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority [FKAA] is just as convoluted with incidentals not many are aware of. FKAA reports the base water rate is $9.86 for the first 2,000 gallons and is a minimum charge. That means if you use no water at all, you pay 9.86 plus incidentals. For 12,000 gallons the rate is $4.93, while anything over that gallonage is $5.93. My 18 month average has been a little more than $11.00 per month. Call FKAA for more information and to determine your expected charges. Remember that any leaks will skew these figures. Miscellany: All my children and some of my grandchildren have emailed, chatted, and even telephoned me this month. I really enjoy talking with all of them too. I visited Key West for my VA doctor's appointment. I am in reasonably good health except for fibromyalgia. I got my old air tank, given to me long ago by John, refurbished. The air tank or air pig as I call it works quite well too. Lastly, the Whitehead Street Pottery features original work by potters Charles Pearson and Tim Roeder. The telephone number is (305) 294-5067. Their email address is info@keyweststudios.com. That's it this month! Poetry Corner
“Pages of Life” 11.06.88
by L. E. Shaffer © 2003 L. E. Shaffer A fire flickers
A sleep comes
The mood silent
Before me a book
In the dimness
A page
A beginning
Mood changing
Heart quickening
Eyes darting
Pleading
Questing
Page upon page
Life after life
The journey begun
Hope that there is no end
Here is sadness
Tears grip the soul
Here is life
By and by
Here is joy
Happiness unknown
Comes from the depths
A smile here and gone
Oh, life so cruel
Over before it begun
Don't cry after
These pages of life... © 2003 L. E. Shaffer Hockey Puck
In the NHL, the Stanley Cup finals series went seven games with the New Jersey Devils winning over the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. I wanted the Ducks to win, but the seven-game series was a joy to watch. The Williams sisters did well enough in the French Open, but they are doing better at Wimbledon. Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. moved up in the NASCAR Winston Cup points standings. Bill Elliot is in the top twenty. Tiger Woods placed third in the Memorial but is in a slump overall. The City of Marathon hosted another speedboat race. That went well. The San Antonio Spurs beat the New Jersey Nets in a great NBA championship series. Guest Articles
We have various guests this journal. As always everything is copyright of the author. Deep Dimensions through a replicate but separate awareness; of another's soul
is like two people looking through an imaginary mirror!
Translucent like the blue sky reflects off the water.
This mirror reflects into a dimension,
That combines the personality, to match what's inside.
Sometimes we're like two people inward and outward;
consciousness; of mind's in harmony meet in a fog of speculation;
exactly halfway between two people talking;
While spirits of the dead; intervene in an imperious concern © 2003 Victor Herbert Martindyck Digital Sail I and my Internet companies have been looking for local broadband services for years now. DSL or satellite, whichever came first, would have been fine with us. To our surprise and good fortune, Digital Sail came along to meet our needs and then some. We needed high upload times. Digital Sail provided that service better than any of the other options. We needed inexpensive, quality services based locally, and Digital Sail does that quite impressively. The installation and customer services are unmatched. Everyone at Digital Sail are professional and very friendly. Digital Sail is an outstanding addition to the City of Marathon. We plan on being lifelong customers and highly recommend the service to anyone requiring reliable broadband services. Larry Shaffer, President, SNPCO and subsidiaries. http://RunesofAo.com. Digital Sail is available at +1 (305) 289-5600. © 2003 L. E. Shaffer Blue Reincarnation Narcissus painting by Jaisini The theme of Narcissus in Jaisini's "Blue..." may be paralleled with the problem of the two-sexes-in-one, unable to reproduce and, therefore, destined to the Narcissus-like end. Meanwhile, the Narcissus legend lasts. In the myth of Narcissus a youth gazes into the pool. As the story goes, Narcissus came to the spring or the pool and when his form was seen by him in the water, he drowned among the water nymphs because he desired to make love to his own image. Maybe the new Narcissus, as in "Blue Reincarnation," is destined to survive by simply changing his role from a passive man to an aggressive woman and so on. To this can be added that, eventually, a man creates a woman whom he loves out of himself or a woman creates a man and loves her own image but in the male form. The theme of narcissism recreates the 'lost object of desire. "Blue" also raises the problem of conflating ideal actual and the issue of the feminine manhood and masculine femininity. There is another story about Narcissus' fall, which said that he had a twin sister and they were exactly alike in appearance. Narcissus fell in love with his sister and, when the girl died, would go to the spring finding some relief for his love in imagining that he saw not his own reflection but the likeness of his sister. "Blue" creates a remarkable and complex psychopathology of the lost, the desired, and the imagined. Instead of the self, Narcissus loves and becomes a heterogeneous sublimation of the self. Unlike the Roman paintings of Narcissus, which show him alone with his reflection by the pool, the key dynamic in Jaisini's "Blue" is the circulation of the legend that does not end and is reincarnated in transformation when autoeroticism is not permanent and is not single by definition. In "Blue," we risk being lost in the double reflection of a mirror and never being able to define on which side of the mirror Narcissus is. The picture's color is not a true color of spring water. This kind of color is a perception of a deep-seated human belief in the concept of eternity, the rich saturated cobalt blue. The ultra hot, hyper real red color of the figure of Narcissus is not supposed to be balanced in the milieu of the radical blue. Jaisini realizes the harmony in the most exotic color combination. While looking at "Blue," we can recall the spectacular color of night sky deranged by a vision of some fierce fireball. The disturbance of colors creates some powerful and awe-inspiring beauty. In the picture's background, we find the animals' silhouettes, which could be a memory reflection or dream fragments. In the story, Narcissus has been hunting - an activity that was itself a figure for sexual desire in antiquity. Captivated by his own beauty, the hunter sheds a radiance that, one presumes, reflects to haunt and foster his desire. The flaming color of the picture's Narcissus alludes to the erotic implications of the story and its unresolved problem of the one who desires himself and is trapped in the erotic delirium. The concept can be applied to an ontological difference between the artist's imitations and their objects. In effect, Jaisini's Narcissus could epitomize artistic aspiration to control levels of reality and imagination, to align the competition of art and life, of image with imaginable prototype. Jaisini's "Blue" is a unique work that adjoins reflection to reality without any instrumentality. "Blue" is a single composition that depicts the reality and its immediate reflection. Jaisini builds the dynamics of desire between Narcissus and his reflection-of-the-opposite by giving him the signs of both sexes, but not for the purpose of creating a hermaphrodite. The case of multiple deceptions in "Blue" seems to be vital to the cycle of desire. Somehow it reminds one of the fates of the artists and their desperate attempts to evoke and invent the nonexistent. "Blue" is a completely alien picture to Jaisini's "Reincarnation" series. The pictures of this series are painted on a plain ground of canvas that produces the effect of free space filled with air. "Blue," to the contrary, is reminiscent of an underwater lack of air; the symbolism of this picture's texture and color contributes to the mirage of reincarnation. By Yustas Kotz-Gottlieb New York 2003, Text Copyright: Yustas Kotz-Gottlieb ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Send private comments to author Gttlieb@aol.com The Art of Paul Jaisini by Yustas Kotz-Gottlieb http://jaisini.artbabyart.net/ © 2003 Yustas Kotz-Gottlieb The Mountains of Ao
Book One 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, Book Two The Mountains of Ao novel currently in final edit, Book Three Twins of the Dark Star novel in early stages, and The Book of Kalian Mysticism poetry collection are 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, company, or its advertisers. Inputs, email, suggestions, and letters to this journal are subject to approval by Ebony and Abby. Submittals may be edited for content and length and become the creative property for the one-time nonexclusive publication of: Shaffer Novels/Poetry Company
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www.RunesofAo.com/abby/ Publication date: June 28, 2003
Author: L. E. Shaffer
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Email Reminder" in the subject line. [Previous Journal] [Journal Index] [Next Journal] 7 The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. 8 Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996. |
