This is a Covert Post, Don't Tell Anyone!

Another busy morning for a Newspaper Distributor. I got a call at 2 a.m. that every bundle of newspapers my carriers received at my warehouse was 1 paper short. In order to avoid a serious onset of "ballerina syndrome" (everyone running around in circles and accomplishing nothing), I got myself up, went out and in 35 minutes came up with additional papers to replace those short and all was well again.

I was sitting here in front of the TV dozing with CoCo batting at my nose (it is an admittedly large target, I know) when I heard, what to me seems to be, the height of news media stupidity and irresponsibility. Some guy named Hersh from the New York Times takes it upon himself to announce in his column that the American military and CIA is involved in covert operations across the border of Iraq inside Iran. Gee, think back to World War II. Where was this guy Hersh then? He could have alerted the Nazis to the invasion and saved Germany! He could have called Japan and had Hiroshima evacuated and the U.S. planes carrying the bombs shot down. He could have alerted Saddam Hussein and let him flee to Argentina or some other safe haven. Hersh, where were you?

In my humble opinion, this guy is dangerous! Not to me, not to you and not to his fellow reporters but a danger to every serviceman and servicewoman now serving our country abroad. Hey Hersh, we want these guys and gals back again. Safe! You are not helping. Who are your treasonous sources? Why do you think it is right to even report this story even if it is true? I realize you think that the press holds an exalted moral position and possesses an obligation and a right to inform the American public of the news BUT do you have the right and is it moral to act as a public spy for those powers that threaten our peaceful existence as a nation? Do you have the right or is it moral to potentially endanger the lives of our soldiers in the field?

Someone in 1992 asked an American citizen what was the most important issue to Americans at that time? He replied, "It's the economy, stupid"? I am asking and telling Mr. Hersh what it means to keep an intelligence operation secret and protect the lives of those involved. It's covert stupid! Shut up!

Well I vented my spleen and now on to watch the rest of the morning comics. (some of the following is subject to T.V. viewer's literary license):

Amy "Slimehouse" slapped a fan in her audience. Who the heck cares? Its the Jerry Springer Show on a rock stage. Any wonder the east sneers at the nations of the west?

38,000 tons of U.S. food was unloaded this morning in North Korea. It was all tomatoes.

South Korean citizens rioted at the news that U.S. beef was now going to be allowed to be imported. And here I thought vegetarians were the only people that cared if people ate U.S. prime steaks.

American citizens rioted yesterday at the Women's U.S. Open in Minnesota yesterday because 38,000 thousand of the contestants were unloaded from Korea and one of them won the final round of play and took the trophy home with her to Korea. The trophy was "covertly" filled with coupons for free U.S. imported steaks.

General Motors stock prices crashed to an all time low. I guess no one wants to "see the USA in their Chevrolet" anymore. Sigh. Go green, idiots!

George Clooney calls for unity amongst rich actors during the upcoming strike. Gee, I guess $15,000,000.00 salary per movie isn't enough. Let's see at $4.00 per gallon that would keep a car that gets 15 miles per gallon, going for 56,250,00 miles or at 400 miles per week, you could drive for 140,625 weeks. Ahem! Are George's taxes going to be raised if McCain is in office or if Obama is in office. Sorry George, we all know the answer. Vote for Obama 2008!!

Just a sobering thought. It is now June 30, 2008. 21 years and four months from now, when my grandchildren and most of your children become full fledged adults, it will be the 100th anniversary pf the stock market crash on October 29, 1929 which was the start of the "Great Depression." What a heritage we have left them! If we do not seize the opportunity to change our country's direction now, it could well foretell a repeat of that epoch event. 17 Presidents have been elected since 1908. In 1929 after 8 years of Republican rule (Bush has now been in office for 8 years), another Republican, Hoover was elected and within 10 months of taking office we entered "The Great Depression." Will history repeat itself early? I do not know but it is a risk I do not wish to take. It was the Democratic Party, not the Republican Party, that pulled us out of the depression the last time and set our economic feet back on stable ground. Vote for Obama for 2008!

Perspective is the key to understanding the human condition. Have you walked a mile in the moccasins of the person next to you today?

T-Ball, CoCo is sick, we went to the Aquarium and UGA VI Died

Yesterday was CoCo's second visit to the Vet. She got all her shots. Her eye is better and she got her first dose of Vantage Point, a multi-wondered topical treatment that knocks out fleas, ticks, worms and heart worms all in one. (How ever if your pet has an erection that lasts longer than 4 hours you should immediately contact your Vet.) Phew! Thank God, CoCo is female.

Being a converted Democrat, I even signed her up for National Health Care (no just a wellness plan that is affordable and acts as pet health insurance). She hasn't reacted too well to the shots and is not quite herself. But then I wouldn't do to well after three shots, blood being drawn and some banana flavored de-worming medicine being squirted down my throat. Oh and she is negative for Feline leukemia and Feline AIDs. Gone are the days when you petted your kitty, fed your kitty, played with your kitty and didn't worry about all these horrors that, like razorblades in Halloween apples, have suddenly appeared.

I sadly left CoCo yesterday, all alone and sleeping, because I had to attend an epoch event in the the wide world of sports. I was to witness the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat because today was Josh's last T-ball game of the season! I arrived to pick up Josh and his posse, Sam, Uncle Brian and Aunt 'Ca (Becca). The boys quickly threw on their shoes. Sam promptly, as usual, put his on the wrong feet but after I deftly pointed out his error he corrected it and said, " Is that right now Papa?" I said, "no that's correct." Sam replies, "Oh Man!" We laughed and got in the Granny's red rocket (her new Town and Country van) and proceeded to the mini-baseball field at the YMCA.

A 2 foot high midget came to bat, was held aloft by the opposing teams coach, hit the ball towards the pitcher (Josh), was put down by the coach and ran directly to center field instead of first base. Wow! A whole season has past and the little squirt still doesn't know where the bases are. Everyone had a good laugh, Josh caught the ball threw it to first and the game continued. After several good fielding plays and four good hits by Josh, the game was over and the coach announced that he had forgotten to bring the pictures and the trophies for the season.

Josh obviously didn't understand because he wandered away from us and went up to the coach and said, "where is my trophy?" He came away a little sad and perplexed that the Titan of of his baseball affections had let him down just when Josh was ready to puff out his little chest and receive his reward for overcoming boredom in the field and actually learning to play T-ball (Josh did a lot studious weeding of the crabgrass when he first began playing).

All proceeded as planned from that point. We all had lunch (except Josh, he hardly ate). After multiple attempts at getting 2 young boys to take a nap, we got back in the red rocket and and flew down to Charleston to the Aquarium. We parked, walked and half ran (Sam had to pee) to the Aquarium, ran up the steps, entered and the first thing we saw was some fish. Gotcha! You would think that would be what we would see in an Aquarium but the first thing we saw was a huge live Bald Eagle roosting in a cage.

Anyway, we saw the fish, we saw the eels, we saw the salamanders, snakes, otters, sharks, heron's, frogs, more fish and and a statue of a large green cartoonish frog which everyone had their pictures taken with and then we all ended up in, you guessed it, the gift shop. The boys got dolphin hats and a sharks face respectively that they immediately affixed to their wee faces and heads and we proceeded to the parking garage and once again the cozy confines of Granny's red rocket.

We sped up I-26 pulled into Texas Roadhouse where the boys delighted in throwing peanuts on the floor and in the buckets provided. They ate practical nothing, visited the bathroom 300 times, acted like the Aquarium otter let loose in a restaurant full of people, got chastised by Becca, Granny, Brian and myself, ignored us and totally enjoyed themselves. Back to the rocket, up the road, into the house, into the bath, kisses, hugs and into their little beds. Lights out and two rapscallions tucked away and sleeping soundly. Granny and I limped home in the red rocket, watched Law and Order (Where, when? I never saw any Law or Order all day!) and hit the sack.

Now its Sunday. I slept late, have my coffee and CoCo is full of herself once again. You know, 37 years ago, I took Mary on our first date. I was trying to impress her. She sure impressed me in her purple hot pants and boots. I took her to see what I thought would be a movie that would impress upon her my elevated intellectual tastes. We both yawned our way through the movie, "A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich." Yesterday was, " A Day in the Life of Papa Shannon" and guess what? I'm still yawning but I love the two little characters in my movie far better than any character in that first movie. Josh and Sam. My two little stars! Twinkle twinkle little stars...

Oh yes, I forgot UGA VI died. Lets all think of John as he mourns the passing of The University of Georgia's mascot. Hey get a Labrador, they live longer.

It's 9 o'clock on a Saturday...Thursday really but...

It's nine o'clock on Saturday... Always liked that song but never really paid attention to the words. Ask me to sing a song and I am relegated to the humming section of the choir because I never remember the words. Ask me the title, sorry, can't remember that either. It's just words too. It's nice to be moved by the music, but what were the words? I googled the lyrics and they are pretty good although when it comes down to it "The Piano Man" is a self involved song of depression mixed with a cry for self importance and rather than drowning in depression and low self esteem the writer finds a saving thought that "hey I'm the Piano Man so I actually am important." Pitiful isn't it, but then it is a common place that we all find ourselves at times so I guess I shouldn't be so hard on one of America's most famous piano playing drunks. Sorry for the sarcasm, I couldn't help myself, but reality bites.

So it's 6 a.m. on a Thursday actually and I am sitting here typing some words. The sign in the yard is still standing there, I put it back up yesterday. Obama '08 is still standing there, staring at the motorized herds. They come passing my house one by one and I think it will still be okay...

Okay enough, just having fun but seriously, do we really listen? Do we really listen to anything the way we should? "Yes we can!" "Create change or change will create you." "There is nothing to fear except fear itself." Sound bites rattle around in our memories, emotions respond to the scenes on TV, our needs draw us together and we find ourselves in a world that has been simplified by cheap inspiration. It is not the commonality of the chorus that the choir sings but the meaning of music and the message of the lyrics that should draw the listener. Inspiration is cheap but do we really listen?

I remember sitting in church and hearing my father in the pulpit reading these words:

"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not love, it profiteth me nothing.
Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Bears all things, believeth all things, hopes for all things, endureth all things.
Love never fails: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."

Do we ever really listen?

Surprise, surprise. Ignorance & Hate are alive

Well I woke up this morning feeling ready to go! (Go get the paper that is) I walked out the door, got the paper and turned to come back inside. That's when I glanced to see my proudly displayed Obama for President 2008 sign in my yard only it wasn't there! Hola! Q'est ce que c'est? Holy $#%^&!! Oh there it is lying 20 feet away on the other side of the front lawn but lying flat on the ground with the support rods pulled out and missing. This is the second time this has happened since I put the sign up a week ago.

I am surprised but really not and I should have known. South Carolina's best ignorant rednecks have been at it again. Sadly they are not only ignorant enough to do this but they are also ignorant enough to believe that this is acceptable behavior in the Palmetto State. They think they are the majority opinion, that hate still rules and the black man doesn't deserve the label of human never mind receive basic human rights. My God! The very idea that an citizen of African American descent (I am of Northern Irish descent) should threaten the very foundations of their reasons for hate and ignorance by running and succeeding at becoming the President of their country sends every redneck flocking to the drugstore to buy multiple doses of Prilosec to ease their choking reflux they feel at that thought.

It also sadly reveals the depth of the divisions that still exist in these United States of America when it comes to matters of race. Sure there has been progress, sure the majority of white South Carolinians do not think that Obama's ascendancy to the Presidency is the end of the world but sadly there are still far too many that do feel that way.

I can only say to these people who espouse hate as their cause and hate as their means of propping up their lack of self esteem, " you have my sympathy." "You are what I was and what many of my fellow white Americans were." If I were ever to have to pass a litmus test for eligibility for a job or office which depended on whether I had ever used the "N" word, I like so so many Americans would have to shamefully answer, yes. We are a flawed nation and a flawed society but thank God that most of us were intelligent enough and had lives that involved that very God I thank, so that we saw our sin (and it is and was a sin of hate) and have sought repentance and healing in our society.

We have the opportunity to elect not just any man of African-American descent but the best of the best and a man who has lived a life rich in the experience of both sides of our divisions. He understands the hate and distrust that exists. He has experienced it personally. He has the intellect and skills to lead a nation.

It is now more important than ever that Obama be elected as OUR President. It is now more important than ever that we take this opportunity that history has presented to us and seek to heal the deep divisions of our society and move forward as one nation and one people with liberty and justice for all.