THELUNARREPORT.COM

THE LUNAR REPORT - "THE BUTTON" May 14, 2012

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 14 May 2012 23:58:51 GMT

The woman means well. She really does, and I love her for that. She is concerned. Apparently much more than I am. And that's something. But the button stays. I don't know, three or four years ago, I guess, my oldest grandson was in my arms. Like any infant-toddler might do, young Sy was exploring his granddad's face with his eyes and his hands. And his finger. And bless his heart, he found nothing that bothered him. The wildly growing ear hair didn't even phase him. The wide and black ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "WORDS I CAN'T RECALL" April 29, 2012

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 02:40:03 GMT

I can't say that I ever heard the man say it. Maybe he did. He probably did a time or two. I just can't recall right now ever hearing the words. I know that he was. Proud of me, that is. He demonstrated that from time to time – the time he sat back in his chair at Houston's Restaurant in Atlanta Midtown and smiled at my brother and me as we clowned around with the waitress and made her laugh.

“Well,” my ...

THE LUNAR REPORT - "THE REAL ME" April 23, 2012

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 01:31:18 GMT

I have often thought that one of life's great injustices is that no one can ever really know exactly how they are perceived by others. That's why, I guess, when we hear things like, “You are so polite,” or “You are such a jerk,” we take notice. Sometimes, it doesn't matter to me which of those statements folks make to me as long as they say something. At least I know, right?

But I have a feeling that I have been perceived as a ...

THE LUNAR REPORT - "AGENDAS" April 16, 2012

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 03:02:30 GMT

I watch television news. I read newspapers. I read online stuff. I watch cable news and commentary shows. I watch MSNBC and Fox News Channel. I listen to talk radio. Rush and others. And NPR and others.

If I didn't know better, I would swear that there's a race war brewing. You know – the Trayvon Martin/ George Zimmerman thing. Because of that incident and the way some folks are behaving in reaction to it, it appears that black Americans are hating ...

THE LUNAR REPORT - "GOOD CHRISTIAN MAN" April 9, 2012

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 02:02:58 GMT

My grandad was a good Christian man. He was the most Christian man I ever knew. The man never spoke badly of another living thing. He spread joy everywhere he went and touched hearts in ways you and I can only imagine.

He was a devoted husband and father to five girls. He was a devoted and loving and understanding grandfather to sixteen of us. As hard as all of us try, none of us can match the joy, the devotion, the love and understanding of ...

THE LUNAR REPORT - "SAMARIA" April 2, 2012

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 02:57:53 GMT

Friday night I learned her name. I met the woman a month ago while doing some work at the Walgreen's where she works. She seems to spend most of her time in the health and beauty aisles of that downtown Chapel Hill, North Carolina store. But last Friday night, she asked my name. When I told her, she approached me with a smiling face that Crest, Oil of Olay, Colgate and Garnier and all their advertising agencies and creative directors and art directors can only imagine.

...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "CHOICES TWO" March 26, 2012

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 02:46:46 GMT

I know some folks. They are like me in many ways. Most are friends. The rest are family. Like me, these folks from time to time worry and fret about stuff. It's mostly stuff we shouldn't fret about at all. But we do it nonetheless.

Years ago, at a time when I was poised to go off the deep end for good and live the rest of my life as a complete and devoted fretter, a good and ...

THE LUNAR REPORT - "BEAT DOOK" March 5, 2012

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 02:03:18 GMT

My research is inconclusive. But if someone put a gun to my head and demanded that I get this right, I would have to say it was child actress, Carolyn Lee who delivered my all-time favorite movie line by a child. It was what she said to her Confederate daddy played by Fred MacMurray in the 1940's movie, “Virginia.” Or so I think.

“Daddy,” she said in her sweet and innocent southern accent, “Does it hurt to be a Yankee?”

That was a fictional ...

THE LUNAR REPORT - "FUNK PART TWO" February 27, 2012

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 12:08:50 GMT

Part of me says, “Forget it and move on.” Another part of me says, “Explain things. You owe at least that to some good folks who love you.”

Actually, this is one of those “deja vu all over again” moments. I was once in a pretty heavy duty relationship where we would communicate through emails. Or, at least, I would try to. I would spend hours composing the perfect email that was sure to cause the love of my life to call me in tears or email me back with a ...

THE LUNAR REPORT - "FEBRUARY FUNK" February 20, 2012

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:50:00 GMT

Februaries have never felt this way for me. For the first February ever, I am kind of lost. Up is not up. Down is not down. And if there's a middle, I sure as hell can't find it.

All I know is that my entire world is out of kilter. Everything seems to be in slow motion. And this is a time when things should be moving at a blazing speed, and I should be happy. My son and his wife just last week gave to ...

THE LUNAR REPORT - "TWO DAYS" February 13, 2012

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 04:35:54 GMT

Making reservations at fine Italian restaurants will be impossible tomorrow. But the day after tomorrow, heart-shaped Whitman Samplers will be easy to buy. And the day after that, we can put away the red pajamas and candles and wine glasses and resort to the daily grind of the obligatory “I love yous.” Or the obligatory neglect of such a wonderful phrase.

It's not that I am not romantic, or that I don't comprehend the beauty of such a day. Growing up it was ...

LUNAR REPORT - "THEN THERE'S HER" February 6, 2012

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 01:00:25 GMT

It kind of seems like every February, I ask the same tired questions. I guess, though, with Valentine's Day coming up, it's understandable.

Why is it so difficult to let go of love sometimes? Why, in the face of apparent smack downs and indifference, do we still hold onto the silly, romantic and illogical notions that we are meant to be with the one who smacks us and is indifferent to us? Even when we are looked squarely in the eyes by our loved ones and told without hesitation that ...

THE LUNAR REPORT - "BIFF" January 30, 2012

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:34:06 GMT

I can't tell you excited I am. Or was.

After years of pondering how, and actually trying a time or two, to come up with the famous Biff Burger sauce recipe on my own, I found a website that has it.

I'm not sure how wide spread were Biff Burgers, but while I was growing up in the Southeast, they seemed to be everywhere. And that was a good thing for me. They also prepared and sold my favorite fast food. It ...

THE LUNAR REPORT - "YOU'RE THE PEANUT" January 16, 2012

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 03:00:19 GMT

I'm not sure if my adult son and the father of my grandchildren remembers hearing such things from me and saying such things back to me when he was the age his children are now. I will find out. But for now, I just don't know.

I do know that somehow the same sort of banter I had years ago with the one person I loved more than any is the same sort of banter that has begun with a couple of folks I love just ...

THE LUNAR REPORT - "WAITING FOR THE FADED SHINE" January 9, 2012

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 01:52:19 GMT

The “just wait 'til” proclamations from friends and relatives ended years ago. Maybe those folks all just tired of the inaccurate predictions. Or maybe they ended because the friends and relatives now know better. But they mostly all appropriately ended.

All those times I heard the “just wait 'tils,” I smiled and yucked it up with the speaker and acknowledged the possibilities. After all, I was a novice at all of this. The “just wait 'tils” came from more seasoned folks usually.

THE LUNAR REPORT - "AUTHENTIC" January 2, 2012

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 11:00:00 GMT

“Personal authenticity leads us to abandon the masks and masquerades we do not truly own, so that we can embrace and celebrate our most central character. We give up only the laborious task of playing games. In fact we simplify our lives. One face greets every situation without embarrassment or regret. Rather than rehearse the 'right' response, we can trust ourselves by allowing the response we feel in any given moment.”

THE LUNAR REPORT - "TRADITION" Dec. 28, 2011

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 17:41:55 GMT

My son is kind of big on tradition. That warms my heart really. Traditions build memories. They seem to build some pretty strong family bonds as well.

One such tradition use to lead my son and me to the I-95 southbound ramp every Thanksgiving. His mom always seemed to have to work on that holiday. So the two of us spending Thanksgiving with our Florida family became “our” tradition. That one has changed quite a bit lately. Some of the Florida family ...

THE LUNAR REPORT - "MERRY CHRISTMAS" Dec. 19, 2011

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 23:44:07 GMT

Y'all need to bear with me a bit here. I learned the story of Christmas when I was around 7 or 8. I was Joseph in the school play. My current biblical information of the story pretty much comes from that play. And frankly, at the time, I had a bit of a crush on the little girl who played Mary, so my attention span was limited back then and so is my memory today.

THE LUNAR REPORT - MORTIMER - December 12, 2011

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:23:12 GMT

I encounter people like this almost every day. Maybe it's because of the work I do. Maybe it's because of the neighborhoods I visit. Maybe it's because I live in a youthful college town where drugs and alcohol are as common as Food Lion brown beef.

They are all the same, these people. Eyes glazed over, pupils dilated, mouths usually open, blank stares and almost total disregard for others in their presence. And the aggression when ...

THE LUNAR REPORT - "THE SCAR" December 5, 2011

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 01:15:40 GMT

I guess we all quite often take our good friends for granted. This is especially true of the longtime ones. Well, it took a relatively new friend to show me the way. Just last week, my new friend wrote a blog piece on her reactions to being asked personal questions. Her reactions are basically of the “none of your business” type. My first reaction - the one of the enlightened more “senior” Dave Moon - was, “I love being asked questions!”

Then. I remembered my old friend of over five decades.
...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "KEPT COMING HOME" Nov. 28, 2011

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 00:26:36 GMT

As divisive as the old woman could be sometimes, Mama kind of kept us all together all these years. She had her favorite family members, and she had ones she enjoyed complaining about. Complaining was one of the few joys in life she had. Don’t get me wrong. She loved us all. I just kind of think that sometimes she loved complaining more.

For years, Mama and Daddy’s children and grandchildren would gather together for Thanksgiving. Some of us traveled hundreds of miles to be there each year. But since 1992, the year the ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "OCCUPY CHARLIE'S" Nov. 21, 2011

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 11:00:00 GMT

It’s time for me to weigh in on some current events. This “occupy” movement intrigues me. And I agree with it. I always have. Well, except for the alleged rapes and murders in the occupied campgrounds. But, you know. A few bad apples, right?

I remember as a child feeling that things were just unfair. Why did the Mason family up the block have a nice two-story house with a perfectly manicured lawn while my family lived in the only rental in the neighborhood? You know, the one story dump with a Jacksonville, ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "HOMELESS" Nov. 14, 2011

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 11:00:00 GMT

“Homeless” is a harsh word. The reality of homelessness is so much more harsh than anything I’ve been through. But my reality was certainly harsh enough. At first.

A few months ago, the adult son of a good friend of mine came home to Chapel Hill, North Carolina for a visit. The kid is about the same age as my only child. The kid’s parents gave him a safe and secure place to stay for a couple of days, cooked for him his favorite and most comfortable dishes, washed his clothes and, on the ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "RANDOM" August 22, 2011

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 09:45:00 GMT

I haven’t preached in a while. I kind of thought this might be a good time to do that again. This has to do with what some folks are calling, “random acts of kindness.”

I get that. And for all those friends and family members who are suggesting that we do such things, well I know your hearts are in the right place. They really are.

My oldest niece started a “random acts of ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "MIGHT BOX" August 15, 2011

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 00:34:36 GMT

These days, the longest line at any Food Lion in the country is the Lotto line. The second longest? The Coinstar machine. I, for one, keep all my coins in a plastic Food Lion bag by the front door of my apartment. I am ready to take action and feed the Coinstar at a moment’s notice.

The other day I watched on television the movie, “Showtime” with Eddie Murphy and Robert De Nero. It reminded me of something important ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "MOONANGEL" August 8, 2011

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 13:24:09 GMT

A few months ago I started a sort of on-going fund raising effort for The Lunar Report. For those of you who support The Lunar Report with donations, I created a third blog site, MoonAngels. Anyone who donates becomes a MoonAngel. And the new blog site became a platform for MoonAngels’ causes or ideas or creative endeavors.

The monetary support was incredible. And I encourage you and others to continue to contribute, to become MoonAngels, and to help us all see just how far we can take this thing together.

...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "THANKS WASHINGTON" August 3, 2011

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 11:00:00 GMT

I sure am glad that Washington is doing all it can to help all of us struggling folks. Without them, well, many of us would be tanking right now. And with all those guys up there, burning the midnight oil, and working hours and hours on end for all of us kind of makes life seem a little easier somehow. Just the other night, after I got home from working my second part-time job, and after working twelve hours straight for eight-dollars an hour, I turned on the television. It kind of warmed my heart to see that ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "LIFE ON THE EDGE" July 25, 2011

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 14:20:48 GMT

(THERE'S AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT ON THIS WEEK'S BONUS BLOG, "LUNACY." BE SURE TO CHECK IT OUT.)

LIFE ON THE EDGE

Life on the edge isn’t easy. But I’m one of the lucky ones. The edge has been my neighborhood for a long time. I am used to it. I know how to navigate the dimly lit, narrow and cracking streets here.

Others aren’t so ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "VERDICT" July 18, 2011

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 12:42:50 GMT

(This is a follow-up to the Lunar Report called, “The Carrboro Crosswalk Caper.”)

It was my first trial since I was arrested and accused of letting my dog run loose in Duval County, Florida in 1979. (See “The Lunar Report - JAILED - May 10, 2010“) It was also the first trial in which I represented myself. And just like the 1979 charges when I ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "SONS AND DAUGHTERS" July 11, 2011

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 12:40:14 GMT

It’s not your typical Western. It’s not about bank robberies or stage coach holdups. Not a single Indian was even shot in The Son’s Of Katie Elder .

“All we want to do is make you end up rich and respectable. You fight us every step of the way.”

This is what John Elder, the oldest of the four Elder brothers said to his youngest brother, Bud. Matt and Tom are the names of ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "SPAGHETTI" July 4, 2011

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 15:14:00 GMT

You know, I have written about many things the past couple of years. The Lunar Report topics have covered families, moms, dads, holidays, jail time, court dates, hornet attacks, lost loves, “the dark period,” politicians, life, death, hope, despair, and even Tiger Woods. And I post the Lunar Report link on Facebook each week.

Nothing I have ever written on any Lunar Report has gotten as much attention as have my stupid and simple one or two line posts on Facebook about my mother’s spaghetti. Nothing.

Oh, sure. On ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "REINVENTING" June 27, 2011

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 13:54:00 GMT

There’s a lot of life-reinventing going on these days. Look, I’ve been doing this sort of thing since age 18. This ain’t new to me. But wasn’t there a time when folks grew up, married, had kids, worked at the same job and lived in the same house for 50 or so years? And then they died. Sure some minor stuff happened to those folks during all that time. The Great Depression, world wars, deaths of family members and the stillborn. But didn’t these folks just keep going along the same path? There was no reinvention with them. ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - SOMETHING MORE

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 00:51:00 GMT

From my desk chair and just over and beyond the computer screen, I can see the street. My apartment is on the street that leads to the neighborhood pool. A few days ago I saw a young man, his young wife and three or four or five children walking with inner tubes and towels down toward our water hole. The kids were excited. The parents seemed that way.

This year’s Father’s Day was supposed to be a bit difficult for me. Until this year, Father’s Day was about dads. Mother’s Day was about moms. ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "LIES" June 13, 2011

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 01:37:00 GMT

Things are out of kilter. Our very way of life is being threatened. Our political life is being threatened, and falling apart. Socialism versus capitalism? Tax cuts versus government spending? It’s kind of important that I speak my mind here. For my child and grandchildren. For the very future of our country.

And lies. From our leaders. One leader says, “I am not a crook.” Another says, “Read my lips. No new taxes.” Still another even lies before a Grand Jury – “I did not have sex with that woman....” The direction of ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "THE CARRBORO CROSSWALK CAPER" June 6, 2011

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 01:18:00 GMT

There was a time, a short time really, when I was a boy - I wanted to be a lawyer. Maybe it had something to do with winning the approval of my Dad, the greatest Perry Mason fan of all time. Maybe I just thought Della Street was a hot babe. All I know is that I wanted to face a DA, a judge and 12 of my client’s peers to defend to the end his innocence.

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "CHURCH, SMOKING AND THE FLAG" May 31, 2011

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 02:40:00 GMT

Mama never asked too much of me. Well, she never asked me to do a great number of things. For the past twenty years or so, she really only asked me to do three things. But that was a lot. And it was all just too much for me to do. I understood the requests. I just couldn’t do them.

“Join a church.”

That was one thing she told me over and over again. And she almost always added, “I want you to be saved so that I can ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "THE CITY TAP ROMANCE" May 23, 2011

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 23 May 2011 11:00:00 GMT

It was bound to happen sooner or later. In fact, I have known for some time it would happen just as it did. I wasn’t sure of the place it would happen. And I was never sure when. But I knew it would unfold like this somewhere one day.

Well it unfolded Friday night. At the City Tap, a quaint neighborhood bar in downtown Pittsboro, North Carolina. Just outside and down a set of stairs from the main bar is the small courtyard, set up with tables, a stage and a dance floor. ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "BOOK SIGNING" May 16, 2011

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 16 May 2011 05:26:00 GMT

Signing the book was the woman's specialty. She never missed a funeral guest registry book signing. My Aunt Francis came around in a huge way eventually. But before she did, she was pretty much just a "book signer."

Aunt Francis: "Mrs. McPherson passed away last week."

Anybody else in the conversation: "Oh no, I missed the funeral."

Aunt Francis: "Well that's okay. I signed the book. And I signed your name, too."

Anybody: "How was the family?"
...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "THE SPEECH" May 9, 2011

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 09 May 2011 04:21:00 GMT

It wasn’t an “Ich bin ein Berliner,” “Tear down that wall,” or “I have a dream” speech, but for an idiot boy like me, that speech I made in a college public speaking class wasn’t bad.

It was a speech where I had to try and convince listeners of my point of view. I forget what they call that “type” of speech. But I remember the speech. Pretty much I do, anyway.

I argued about our days, our weeks, our years, and our lives. I made the point that ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "THE FUNERAL" May 2, 2011

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Tue, 03 May 2011 01:30:00 GMT

Time sometimes plays some tricks on us. Minutes, days, and weeks did just that to my family and me recently. This Lunar is in three parts: “The Funeral,” “The Wedding” and “The Toast.” Please just follow the links at the end of The Lunar Report and Lunacy. You’ll find all three that way. If you have the time, that is.....

THE FUNERAL

Many of her troubles she brought on herself. You know. If she had only learned how to drive, or if she had spent less time ironing handkerchiefs, ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "THE PURPLE DRESS" April 11, 2011

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 14:41:00 GMT

Around the time she passed, I was handling beautiful and full purple flowers at my job. When I got the call from Florida thirty minutes later, I was standing in front of that display of purple blooms. Mama died yesterday morning. I can pay no better tribute to the woman than I did last year on her 90th birthday. Here’s “The Purple Dress.” Again. For you Mama.

THE PURPLE DRESS

Mama loves the color purple. She says it’s Jesus’ favorite color. When I first saw that dress, I ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "HE NEVER SAYS, 'I LOVE YOU'" April 3, 2011

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 10:00:00 GMT

Confused. That’s what I was. It was bound to happen. It needed to happen. Sometimes I guess, only through confusion can clarity be achieved.

Last weekend, Matt and his bunch (that’s my son, Matt, his wife-to-be Sherri, her 8-year-old daughter Rachel, his three-year-old son Sy, their two-year-old son Seth and their 6-month-old dog Hooch) traveled to my place to spend a couple of days. Of course it was great to have them around. But, frankly, grand dads shouldn’t have to do what I had to do last Sunday. I have been there ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "IT'S MARILYN'S BIRTHDAY" Mar. 28, 2011

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 18:58:00 GMT

If you are a regular reader of The Lunar Report, then you know how I feel about my sister. Indulge me one more time, will you? After all, it’s Marilyn’s Birthday.

The woman deserves a month at a Palm Springs Spa or a couple of weeks in Paris or just a day in St. Augustine. But her birthday will be like every day – checking the vital sign monitors at our mom’s hospital bedside, listening to doctors give her good and bad news, questioning decisions of hospital staff, and fielding phone calls from hospital ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "JUST LOOK AT HIM" Mar. 23, 2011

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 12:28:00 GMT

Jane Slotin pegged it best. It was a very accurate explanation of why Carolina folks really hate Dookies.

Jane Slotin was my first female friend after I enrolled at the University of North Carolina in 1972. We met the day before Thanksgiving that year at the Raleigh Amtrak station. She was on her way to Savannah. I was on my way to Jacksonville. The train was three hours late arriving in Raleigh. And Jane kept us entertained. She went around the entire terminal, making friends and building a traveling party.
...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "MARIA FROM KOKOMO" Mar. 19, 2011

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 22:14:00 GMT

It was unlikely that on that day my angel would come from central Indiana. But God does work in mysterious ways, and surely Kokomo, Indiana is home to at least a few of His agents. On that day, I really didn’t care where the angel came from. I just needed her. Maria is her name.

I find myself in need of angels often it seems. The details of why that is are unimportant here. But I will say that I just can’t seem to break out of the routine of living for the ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "LOST AND FOUND" March 14, 2011

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 14:09:00 GMT

We are all lost, really. From time to time at least. If we’re lucky, we have a special kind of place where we can be found again. I’m lucky.

I really never thought too much of this place in that way. Until last weekend. I’ve known for years that Charlie and Carol’s was a safe haven where University of North Carolina football and basketball fans and friends can gather and not be disturbed by those despicable Dook and North Carolina State misfits. I have known for years that come Labor Day or anniversaries or ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "FIGHTER" March 7, 2011

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 14:39:00 GMT

The woman’s a fighter. And she hasn’t yet given up the will to live. So she fights on. That’s my mother right now. My son says that she is one of the two strongest people he knows. I tend to agree with him.

The woman has been hospitalized or rehabilitated now since late October of last year. She’s in a bit of a downward spiral right now. But she is still fighting. Still holding onto that will.

Nurses and doctors are constantly harassing my sister about DNR (Do ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "TYSON JOHNSON DIED" Feb. 28, 2011

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 14:48:00 GMT

Tyson Johnson died a couple of weeks ago. Now that means nothing to you, I know. Tyson Johnson is just a name to you. But Tyson taught me a thing or two. Well, he and his good buddy, my Uncle Gene.

Tyson was quite the Graham, North Carolina character. He was a single man, and he seemed to cherish that. Every time the man would cover his premature bald head with his driving cap and drive his convertible to Florida just to buy lottery tickets, years before his state got the lottery, he ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "GET HIGH" Feb. 21, 2011

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 13:46:00 GMT

Every year when the weather turns a bit warmer, I think of that hot night in 1975. I had a summer job in the Purchasing Department of the American National Bank on North Main Street in Jacksonville, Florida. One of my co-workers there was a former high school basketball teammate, James. We were friends. Not pals. At least not until that bank job.

There was another guy who was both a friend and a pal. Bob is his name. We had known each other since elementary school in Jacksonville. I guess he and I ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "FINDING ANGELS" Feb. 14, 2011

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 14:17:00 GMT

Once again, I have needed and found some angels. Big time. This is a Lunar re-run from over a year ago. It seems appropriate to run it again.

Right now, life's not easy for many of us. Often it seems impossible.

But there are angels. There are many of them. I've found a few special angels lately. They know who they are. I don't need to name them. Just being an angel ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "REAL NEWS" Feb. 7, 2011

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 13:27:00 GMT

This week I kind of feel the need to be topical. Sure, the Mid-East situation is grave and disturbing. Weather woes continue to plague our own country. And God only knows what’s up with Charlie Sheen.

But the big topic today is the same big topic that hits every year around this time. Nothing else matters. Time freezes for at least a few hours while Super Bowl Sunday plays out. Revolution and street deaths in Egypt? Americans stranded and freezing in their cars for hours on end? And that Sheen guy feeling compelled ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "THE END" Jan. 31, 2011

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 13:49:00 GMT

What can I add to the topic of love? Nothing. Nothing at all. There are much deeper thinkers than I who have for centuries studied, pondered, discussed, written about, and tried to understand that notion. And if credentials matter, well – I have none. I am a novice at love. A fifty-seven year old novice. And a bit of a loser on this front.

But I do know what it’s like, when closing a final chapter, to cut my eyes away from the last page, desperately avoiding the words, “The end.” My attention seems ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "NEW STUFF" Jan. 24, 2011

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 13:56:00 GMT

Thank you all for making The Lunar Report what is today. I hope you have been enjoying it. And I hope that maybe you’ve gotten some good from it. That has been my motivation all along. And the readership and responses the past year have been incredible.

My goal was to provide some stuff that would be helpful, that would make folks smile or laugh and sometimes cry. I wanted to shed some insight into life and life’s problems and present it with honesty, hopefully encouraging others to be honest with themselves. ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "OLDEST FRIEND" Jan. 17, 2011

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 15:58:00 GMT

I spent a few hours with my oldest and dearest buddy the other day. I’ve known this friend since around age four or five. And my pal has very rarely let me down. The friend seems to be there at just the right times – when I need a companion the most.

I was feeling a bit down the other day. I needed my friend. Once again, I was not disappointed. The friend lifted my spirits a bit – certainly higher than they were before the visit.

...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "CATS AND DOGS" Jan. 10, 2011

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 12:37:00 GMT

Why do we do such things to ourselves? I know where I belong and with whom I need to be. So does she. Yet we insist on following our own selfish and destructive paths.

Then there’s my sister. My sister would much rather spend her time with animals – cats and dogs. I used to question her priorities, even her sanity. Now I understand. Humans know what to expect from cats and dogs. And cats and dogs pretty much know what to expect of us. But human love of other humans? All of that ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "NO" Jan. 3, 2011

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 15:55:00 GMT

Unless you are a child whose safety and life depend on hearing this, “no” is possibly the most damaging word in our vocabulary. That one, simple, stupid word will likely kill my mom one day. It nearly killed me years ago.

My mom has always been the type who’s first response to any question was “no.”

“Mama, do you want to go to the store with me?”

“No.”

“Want to go on a trip?”

...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "ONLY HUMAN" Dec. 27, 2010

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 14:40:00 GMT

This “gift of time” thing is for the birds. Sure it saves money, but good grief, I’m only human.

I arrived at my son’s place last Thursday around 4pm. Actually, I met him and his bunch - his fiancé, three of the four children that regularly hang around with them, and my ex-wife - at some clothing warehouse. I was clean, shaven and well rested. Two days later, some time on Christmas day, I found a few minutes to shower, shave and rest. What happened in between is all pretty much a blur. ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "THE GIFT" Dec. 20, 2010

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 14:11:00 GMT

Here comes yet another inadequate Christmas. You’d think that after so many years of somehow making it through the season, surprising children and grandchildren and yourself by making it somehow happen, it would become easier. But it’s never easy. It’s certainly not this year. And I give up. This year, I’m giving up.

Don’t worry. This will not be another sappy Christmas story. There are way too many of them. I believe that if one can’t do a better job than Matthew or Luke or O. Henry, then one shouldn’t even try.
...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "HER NAME IS 'MIRACLE'" Dec. 13, 2010

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 14:12:00 GMT

One summer evening at my grandmother’s house in Burlington, North Carolina, I was doing what many six-year-olds were doing that night. I was in the yard, trying to catch fireflies in a pickle jar. So was my eight-year-old sister. The activity was innocent enough. Catch a firefly or two, watch them glow through the glass, and release them to the night air.

My sister caught a couple. It seemed easy for her. I was a bit more impatient, I suppose. I attacked my first one like a gator would attack a lamb in ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "SAME-SEX ENCOUNTER" December 6, 2010

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 15:47:00 GMT

It happened in the wee hours last Friday. I was on a business trip. He was a local. That’s when we met for the first time. He was a stocky but gentle man - very patient and understanding. Younger than I, but very much in control of me. He stood in front of me and told me exactly what he was going to do to me. Then he walked behind me, looking at my body as he moved.

He gently rubbed my shoulders. Moved his hands down my arms. He slipped his fingers ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "MANHOOD" October 25, 2010

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 11:59:00 GMT

Well. It has happened. I have lost my manhood.

The beginning of the end came just the other day when I painted a woman’s nails. That’s right. I admit it. I painted her fingernails. There’s no point in keeping this to myself. The woman whose nails I did doesn’t care too much for decorum. Eventually she will tell everyone anyway. So there you have it. Struggling to hang onto at least a thread of my manhood during the process, I did request painter’s tape to cover her cuticles the way a house painter ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - SPECIAL EDITION - "Blind Hog" October 15, 2010

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 12:15:00 GMT

“Even a blind hog finds an akurn every now and then.” This quote came from a man who had much too class and dressed much too sharply to even utter such a phrase. But he did. And he certainly said it with conviction back when his North Carolina Tar Heel football team couldn’t seem to find an “akurn.” A win, that is.

The man drove me a bit nuts from time to time. He was a rather short fellow with a meek voice that was seldom raised. “See – here’s what you need to ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "Four Hours On Friday" October 11, 2010

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 12:42:00 GMT

An old college friend loves Saturday nights. At least he did when we were in school together. His sort of theme song back then was Elton John’s “Saturday Night Is Alright For Fighting.” Many Saturdays, a bunch of us would gather at his single-wide west of Chapel Hill, North Carolina and the state university there and party until the wee hours or all night. At some predictable point during each of those evenings, the stereo would be cranked to the max while 90-percent of the “mates” in the room would jump around and dance and sing to the ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "Fantasy" October 4, 2010

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 10:48:00 GMT

No. This is not some sexual fantasy article. For the love of God, I’m 56. The only fantasy like that I have these days is of kissing a woman without my new teeth falling out.

This is about Fantasy Football. And don’t worry if you know nothing about football or fantasy football. Neither, apparently, do I. So you have every reason to continue reading.

My adult son got me into Fantasy Football last season. He got me into it again this year. I thought being a one-season veteran, things would ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "Don't Shoot" September 27, 2010

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 11:34:00 GMT

From the time I was an eighth grader at Lakeshore Junior High School in Jacksonville, Florida, until I boldly tried out for the JV team at the University of North Carolina, I played organized basketball. It was everything to me back then. But it was kind of unlikely that a shy, self-conscious and insecure young guy like me would go as far as I did.

I was a starter on my ninth grade Lakeshore team. That’s only because I was taller than anyone else. I also started my senior year on the high school ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "Hurt" September 20, 2010

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 15:18:00 GMT

Over the years, I’ve known a few people whose feelings never seemed to be hurt. Until about ten years or so ago, I always just kind of felt they were, well, stupid. You know, too ignorant, really, to feel the emotional pain another was throwing their way. And totally lacking the guts to stand up to the offender. Stupid. And spineless.

For roughly the first 45 years of my life, my feelings were hurt often. If someone looked at my new haircut and said, “Hey. You got a hair cut,” that meant they ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "I'm A Fraud" September 13, 2010

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 12:30:00 GMT

There’s no other explanation. Simply put, I’m a fraud. For over a year now, I’ve been pouring out my heart in The Lunar Report. Getting in touch with and sharing some pretty heavy-duty truths about my life. I hate to admit this. But I don’t even know what the truth is anymore.

When I was a kid growing up in Jacksonville, Florida, the hottest local band was a group called, “Mouse and the Boys in Brass.” I never heard or saw them perform. But I heard plenty of radio commercials on WPDQ and ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "AROMA" September 6, 2010

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 13:35:24 GMT

Being alone is something I chose. And it suited me well. For a while.

A few nights ago, I made a pot of Brunswick Stew. I was asked to do that for some good friends - my family really.

I was alone in my apartment, stewing chicken and onions and potatoes. The aroma was, well… it brought back memories. A whole pot full.

My brother is 9 years older than me. Maybe 8. Honestly, I’ve never been able to remember that. But I do remember the Friday nights or Wednesday nights before Thanksgiving or ...

THE LUNAR REPORT - "UNCLE EARL" August 30, 2010

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 12:27:00 GMT

It’s quite fitting that Hurricane Earl has formed in the Atlantic. I’m no meteorologist, but I think I can predict fairly accurately that Earl will be inland and over Atlanta, Georgia next weekend. It kind of has to. That’s where I will be next weekend. At a football game. And that’s where I was when I met for the first and only time my dear Uncle Earl. In Atlanta. After a football game.

And, kind of like a hurricane, almost as suddenly as Uncle Earl entered my life, the man left. I only ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "ANNIVERSARY" August 23, 2010

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 17:21:00 GMT

Sometimes we just lose our confidence. I surely do. From time to time. From minute to minute even. About a year and a half ago, I lost it big time. Well, I lost it long before that. Last year I faced the big time.

I’m a middle aged video producer. When I began my career over 30 years ago at television stations and advertising agencies, I was a young and creative hot shot of sorts. At the very least, my work ...

THE LUNAR REPORT - August 16, 2010

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 11:44:00 GMT

Thanks for checking out TheLunarReport.com. If you are reading this, then you likely know that I am taking the week off. Since you are here, I hope that you will take a few moments to browse the site, read a few things, and enjoy some stuff.

If you like what you see, or if you know someone who would enjoy this, I hope you will consider sharing the site. People seem to like these. I sure love doing them.

And. Thanks!

Click ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "MICHAEL VICK'S SMILE" August 9, 2010

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 12:21:00 GMT

The phrase, “death with dignity” has puzzled me for quite some time. What the hell does that mean? Just to cover my bases, I have asked my son to make sure I am wearing my suit and my teeth when I die. I don’t know how he will manage that. But that’s my take on “death with dignity.”

What about “life with dignity?” Where is that idea? Where the hell is the contract for that?

Sometimes I think Michael Vick’s dogs are better off than our old and tired ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "PLEASE COME BACK" August 2, 2010

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 10:07:00 GMT

That dear old woman had a pretty strong grip that evening. It took me a while to pry apart the small knotty fingers of her arthritic hands at the Twin Lakes’ Assisted Living dinner table and slip away to return to my busy young-adult life outside that place. Even as she said to me what she had said to me hundreds of times over the years, “Please don’t go,” I left anyway. I can still see her old and sad eyes. I can still feel her grip. It was the last time I saw Nanny alive. That was ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "DEAN SMITH" July 26, 2010

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 10:30:00 GMT

Dean Smith, former basketball coach at the University of North Carolina, said in a news conference one time after losing a pretty important college basketball game, “There are a billion people in China who don’t even know we played tonight.” I got his point. It was a good one. But I don’t much care for the way he downplayed the importance of Carolina Basketball. More specifically, Dean Smith Carolina Basketball.

Coach Smith’s health is not so good these days. I thought it was time that I share a very special Lunar Report ...

THE LUNAR REPORT - "MATER WAR" July 19, 2010

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 12:15:00 GMT

What began as a simple tomato war between brothers decades ago has now come to this. Harassing emails from the son of one of those brothers who rather subtly accused me of neglect. Well, I stood up to that son. “Patience is a virtue,” is what I wrote him back. I guess I told him!

Joseph, or “Big Coon” as they called him, left Graham, North Carolina in 1956. In 1962, he found his way to Florida, hundreds of miles from the nearest North Carolina homegrown German Johnson tomato.
...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "NEW JETER" July 12, 2010

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 15:07:00 GMT

They called all those folks piled into a bus or truck or something, “Jeter and his bunch.” That’s what they called them in the tiny town of Graham, North Carolina. Years ago. When my parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles all knew Jeter. And his bunch.

All I remember about “The Bunch” is hearing that when folks saw Jeter’s overloaded vehicle heading their way, the response was always the same. “Oh Lord. Here comes Jeter and his bunch.”
...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - SPECIAL EDITION - "THAT'S ALL"

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 15:06:00 GMT

All the man wanted was his home office back. He wanted his desk, his computer and enough room to situate his new chair in front of his old keyboard. That’s all.

He had used that keyboard for several years. For many years before it was a typewriter and telephone. And face-to-face engagements never scared the man.

He had a very successful career with that stuff. He was a pioneer in his field, I’ve been told. ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "GOOD RIDDANCE" July 5, 2010

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 15:05:00 GMT

Last Thursday I sat and had a beer with a couple of old friends. In a place that has been pretty important to the old friends and me for decades. That place is going away soon. Not the friends. Just the place. And not the memories. We’ll have those forever. But the place and the headaches and that tired old comfortable part of us will move on and into the early stages of someone else’s memory.
...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "POWER" June 28, 2010

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 15:03:00 GMT

It's really about power. Doing what we can to give ourselves the upper hand. No matter the emotional cost or carnage.

I've overcome complaining. At least I've moved beyond the level I once owned. I owe a very special person for my revival. There are others I owe. But mostly her. And trust me. She suffered in her efforts.

Now don't get me wrong. Sometimes one has to complain. It is often a sort of act of cleansing. You know. Complain ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "THE PURPLE DRESS" June 23, 2010

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 15:02:00 GMT

Mama loves the color purple. She says it’s Jesus’ favorite color. When I first saw that dress, I didn’t even know Jesus had a favorite color.

I still have an image of that dress today. It was nothing special, really. Even by June Clever standards. But when I was ten, it was the most beautiful dress I had ever seen. And it made Mama just as beautiful.

I told her how much I loved that dress. She must have said something ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "EXTRAORDINARY NEW NAME" Father's Day, 2010

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 15:01:00 GMT

Sometimes I called him, Joe. Most times I called him, Daddy. In the evenings these days, when I have a first cocktail, I raise my glass to the heavens and say, “Cheers Paw-Paw.”

My dad was extraordinary. In almost every way. He was extraordinarily funny. One of the funniest people I have ever known. He was extraordinarily generous. His mom, Mama Moon, told me one time, “Joe would give you the shirt off his back.” He was an extraordinary ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "KNOWING JASON" June 15, 2010

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 14:57:00 GMT

It was Father’s Day weekend. I told my son, Matt, we would do it. But frankly, all I wanted to do was what my own Dad always did on Father’s Day – try on his new underwear, sit in his easy chair and watch the US Open Golf Championship while the little woman and offspring wait on him hand and foot. This was my vision of the perfect Father’s Day.

But I did it. I committed to two days of ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "TERROR" June 7, 2010

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 14:56:00 GMT

Most mornings I wake up on the sofa. With news on the television. I enjoy falling asleep there. With the television on. Maybe I should watch TV in the bedroom. But it’s just not the same.

I used to live in an old one-story farmhouse built in the late ‘20s and situated on 72 acres of rolling hills, woods and open space just south of Hillsborough, NC. What a great house. It had a screen porch that stretched across ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "BROTHER AND BUNNY" Memorial Day, 2010

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 31 May 2010 14:53:00 GMT

Today is Memorial Day. You know what? I won’t spend a single moment honoring veterans today.

Call me what you will. I don’t care. This is the way it is.

I became draft age just a couple of years before the end of the Viet Nam War. So I missed the heavy-duty worry so many young teens felt back then. My brother did not. Neither did Bunny. They were both in the thick of things.

...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "ENGAGE" May 24, 2010

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 24 May 2010 14:50:00 GMT

I am fortunate, you know? I happen to know and love some wonderful people. There are three very special people, however, that stand out somehow. A couple of friends – Mike. Michele. And Cosmo Kramer. Ok. Cosmo is a television character. Still, the man is important to me.

One afternoon a few years ago while I was lying around sort of feeling sorry for myself, I found myself deeply involved in my favorite hobby. Running the cable channels from the ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "MITCH" May 17, 2010

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 17 May 2010 14:49:00 GMT

Okay. The NBA Playoffs are well underway. I guess this is as good a time as any to tell you about the time the General Manager of the Los Angeles Lakers nearly killed me. It’s true. Well in my eyes anyway.

For years, one of my favorite NBA teams has been the Lakers. Because of James Worthy, Bob McAdoo, Sam Perkins, Rick Fox. And Mitch Kupchek. They all played for the Lakers. And all are former college players at ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "JAILED" May 10, 2010

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 10 May 2010 14:48:00 GMT

I called my Mom yesterday. We had a good talk. As she has done often throughout the years, yesterday she took advantage of the opportunity to tell me once again how proud she is of her three children and their children. As she always says, “None of my kids or grandkids has ever been in trouble.” Usually, it ends there. Yesterday she continued, “Except that one time you were arrested.”

I have a ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "TOOTHLESS SMILE" May 3, 2010

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 03 May 2010 14:46:00 GMT

My mouth is like Eastern Europe in the1970’s. One by one, all the nations in there are falling to the Evil Empire. Tooth decay and gum disease.

My son asked me the other day, “So what’s up with your teeth?” I can always count on that man to be honest and up front. And contrary to his behavior that day, I told him, “Too much crystal meth.” “Dad!” was his reply. I couldn’t help it. Blame it on ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "THE UNSIGNED CARD" April 26, 2010

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 14:44:00 GMT

It started with an unsigned birthday card. My understanding. My real understanding. Of someone I had just taken for granted for the first 31 years of my life.

Maybe I am being a bit harsh on myself. “Taken for granted” seems a bit strong. I have always known and felt the special love of this woman. So have others. Many others. But when good folks are always good, you expect them to always be good. Good is normal. ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "LIFE WITH JULIAN" April 19, 2010

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 14:42:00 GMT

I’m taking a break from the Lunar this week. It’s not that I need one. I love this. It’s just that there is something more important going on here.

Because of a really good friendship, I have had the pleasure to do some video work for The Autism Society of North Carolina. Those guys are pretty incredible. So are the folks they help. It has been rewarding.

Now. About my friend. From time ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "KICK THE CAN" April 12, 2010

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 14:40:00 GMT

Last Friday night I heard a few neighbor children squeal and laugh. It was around dusk. Just before the perfect kick-the-can time of day. That’s the time of day when the neighborhood quiets down a bit. Traffic subsides. Dads are reading newspapers. Moms are clearing the dishes. Walter Cronkite's quiet and gentle authoritative voice fills the background in all the neighborhood living rooms. Or at least, that’s the way it was in my neighborhood.

...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "DOOK" April 5, 2010

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 14:39:00 GMT

So here’s a dilemma I have almost every year during the NCAA basketball playoffs. I am a fan of the University of North Carolina. I am sure that North Carolina State and Dook fans have the same dilemma at times. I am just as certain that if there were college football playoffs, Florida, Georgia, Florida State, Tennessee, Miami fans and others would be in the same boat.

For a North Carolina fan, the ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "EASTER EFFORT" April 3, 2010

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 14:38:00 GMT

Tomorrow is Easter. It should probably be my favorite holiday. Spring is my favorite season. Easter represents such hope and promise. A re-birth. Life. The truth is, since the age of about 8 or 9, I have associated Easter Sunday with fatigue and nausea.

At some point after my family and I moved to Jacksonville in 1962, my family began the tradition of attempting to attend Sunrise Services at Jacksonville Beach. It wasn’t easy to do. Back then we ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "VICTIM" March 29, 2010

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 14:20:00 GMT

Finally, I’m a victim. I’ve been wondering when this would happen. Well it has.

All the years, the decades, of bad stuff coming my way. All the time spent with self-examination, wondering what I did to cause such heartache, such distress, and such. You know. Believing that I was responsible for it all.

Well, now the shoe is on the other foot, I’d say. I’ve been victimized by a large and twisted Internet debit card fraud scheme. And I love it. ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "THE DAY" March 22, 2010

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 14:19:00 GMT

I’m just sitting here. That’s all.

I don’t know what to do. To say. To think, really.

Today is one of those days. One of those incredible days. When people. Real people. Show themselves. Angels, I call them. For a lot of people, days like this one don’t happen often. When they do, it’s mostly unexpected. One of these days, I will expect days like this every day. For now? I need to just be amazed.

...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "FEELS RIGHT" March 15, 2010

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:17:00 GMT

A while back I wrote about my writing. I received the following response from an old friend of mine after that Lunar.

“Looks like you're up against the journalist/columnist's dilemma: got to make the deadline so must write about the writing itself and/or create some news.”

Maybe he was right. Then. This time this is something I kind of have to write. The Lunar Report is quite possibly the best thing that has ever happened to me. Well – aside from my ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "INFLATABLE DAVE" March 9, 2010

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:14:00 GMT

It’s hits me like this every year. The weather is warm. Spring Training is in full swing. In Florida. In Arizona. The first Major League pitch will be thrown before we know it.

It takes me back. It has every year since I ended my brief four-year stint in the Minor Leagues. Back in ’06. Another dead dream. Another case of wasted time and talent.

It was 2003 when this dream began. With the Durham ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - SPECIAL EDITION - "THAT KIND OF MAN"

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:13:00 GMT

I only met the man once or twice. But I knew him. He was that kind of man. I cannot even recall his first name right now. He wouldn’t mind. He was that kind of man.

He is the Dad of my favorite family. I know his son. I know his son’s wife. She’s my niece. His grandchildren share some of my blood. I know the man.

A few years ago, my Mom was in ...

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THE LUNAR REPORT - "OWN THE DAY" March 1, 2010

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:01:00 GMT

This was written for and posted only on Facebook back in October. I am posting it again, here this time, for a very selfish reason I guess. Last week, my son asked the love of his life to marry him. She said, “Yes.” Last October, the two of them taught me to own the day. This is sort of a tribute to that lesson. And to them.

From October 13, 2009
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Copyright Moon Productions, Inc. 2010

THE LUNAR REPORT - "PERFECT" February 22, 2010

david@moon-inc.com (David Moon) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 13:59:00 GMT

It’s tough being the perfect guy. The perfect son. The perfect golfer. My high school basketball coach always told us to “strive for perfection.” Coach Johnson told us that we would never get there but that we would get a lot closer than otherwise if we just strive for it.

I was a good kid. Growing up, I always wore freshly pressed clothes. My Mom even ironed my underwear and handkerchiefs. That’s right. Handkerchiefs. In the left rear pocket of ...

Copyright Moon Productions, Inc. 2010