Full story here.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Gone
One of our Australian nuns, Ani Tenzin Wangmo, reported today that the wildfires there are "like a Hell realm." The news is filled with stories of people overtaken by the unbelievably fast-moving fires. Those trying to drive away found their cars were on fire, too. Thousands left homeless. A man on one news video said all his friends and all their children were killed.
Our sorrow encompasses the uncountable number of creatures affected as well. Animals experience fear. Even insects instinctively defend their homes. So many creatures left homeless, injured, killed. A Hell realm, indeed.
There are ways we can help. Ani kindly forwarded these links : one to make donations to the Australian Red Cross, the other to make donations to the RSPCA (animal rescue/shelter). Please consider even a small donation as you hold all those affected in your prayers.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Blog Eyes
I never blogged before. Now that I do, it’s like I have a microchip implanted in my head that makes me evaluate everything I read, see, discuss, laugh about, fret about, or in any way interact with, for its blog-worthiness.
Here are a few things that caught my attention this week :
Elizabeth Edwards—wife of John Edwards for those with short-term memory disorders—has written a new book called Resilience. Her publishers said, “[Edwards is] one of the most beloved political figures in the country, and on the surface, seems to have led a charmed life.”
Some charmed life—she lost her teenage son in a car accident and has been living in the national political spotlight while dealing with breast cancer.
The Broadway Diner in Baltimore has a tabletop touchscreen computer game called Merit Megatouch. There's even a “My Merit” button to see how much you've accumulated. Wish it were that easy.
I’m a biologist and a Dr. Seuss fan. Imagine my delight when those worlds collided for me this week, and a new species of sea squirt was discovered
Living in their
Sneak-a-peeky world
in the deep Australian swirl
Or if you prefer,
"'It was truly one of those transcendent moments," said the cruise's lead scientist, Jess Adkins of Caltech. "We were flying — literally flying — over these deep-sea structures that look like English gardens, but are actually filled with all of these carnivorous, Seuss-like creatures that no one else has ever seen.'"
A mere fifteen days after Obama put on his Inauguration shoes to begin leading the nation out of the smoldering ruins left by George Bush, Newsweek ran a story about the Obama administration titled, “Losing Control.” Not like we have unrealistic expectations of the guy, huh? What did they expect? It’s much too early for President Obama to put on his blue tights and red cape. That’s Spring wear and everyone knows it.
He believed, “We want to make shelter a matter of conscience. We want to make it socially, morally, politically and religiously unacceptable to have substandard housing and homelessness.”
A man who walked his talk, he chose to be buried “in a simple pine box.”
While speaking about malaria education and eradication at the annual Technology, Entertainment and Design conference in Long Beach, California, Bill Gates opened a jar containing (malaria-free) mosquitoes and set them free in the room. That was probably good for both the mosquitoes and his fundraising.
Here are a few things that caught my attention this week :
Elizabeth Edwards—wife of John Edwards for those with short-term memory disorders—has written a new book called Resilience. Her publishers said, “[Edwards is] one of the most beloved political figures in the country, and on the surface, seems to have led a charmed life.”
Some charmed life—she lost her teenage son in a car accident and has been living in the national political spotlight while dealing with breast cancer.
**
The Broadway Diner in Baltimore has a tabletop touchscreen computer game called Merit Megatouch. There's even a “My Merit” button to see how much you've accumulated. Wish it were that easy.
**
I’m a biologist and a Dr. Seuss fan. Imagine my delight when those worlds collided for me this week, and a new species of sea squirt was discovered
Living in their
Sneak-a-peeky world
in the deep Australian swirl
Or if you prefer,
"'It was truly one of those transcendent moments," said the cruise's lead scientist, Jess Adkins of Caltech. "We were flying — literally flying — over these deep-sea structures that look like English gardens, but are actually filled with all of these carnivorous, Seuss-like creatures that no one else has ever seen.'"
**
A mere fifteen days after Obama put on his Inauguration shoes to begin leading the nation out of the smoldering ruins left by George Bush, Newsweek ran a story about the Obama administration titled, “Losing Control.” Not like we have unrealistic expectations of the guy, huh? What did they expect? It’s much too early for President Obama to put on his blue tights and red cape. That’s Spring wear and everyone knows it.
**
Millard Fuller, the co-founder of Habitat for Humanity died this week.He believed, “We want to make shelter a matter of conscience. We want to make it socially, morally, politically and religiously unacceptable to have substandard housing and homelessness.”
A man who walked his talk, he chose to be buried “in a simple pine box.”
**
While speaking about malaria education and eradication at the annual Technology, Entertainment and Design conference in Long Beach, California, Bill Gates opened a jar containing (malaria-free) mosquitoes and set them free in the room. That was probably good for both the mosquitoes and his fundraising.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Old But New
This video has been on YouTube for over 2 years. Two years is a long time in the world today. Easy to think, "Yeah, I've already seen that. Gimme another bright shiny object, would ya?" But its message is no more worn out than when the Buddha first said it 2,500 years ago.
May you be happy.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
One In Three
Today, Iraq is having its second provincial election since Sadam Hussein was removed. That's cause for celebration, but not a drop of credit goes to Former President Bush and his comrades in terror. All credit goes to the Iraqis themselves, who are surviving an American invasion killing nearly 100,000 innocent civilians and destroying their entire infrastructure in the process.
It is not possible to bomb a people into freedom. Today the polls open because of their own courage, resilience and hope.
And clearly Iraqi women have a double gene for courage. CNN.com reports that 4,000 Iraqi women are running for office. Due to something like America’s impossible-to-decipher electoral system, one out of every three seats is guaranteed to go to a woman.
The struggle before them is enormous. CNN reminds us, “Under Hussein, Iraq was one of the more secular Arab countries, but the 2003 U.S. invasion unleashed extremist militias. Now, many activists say women have been forced back to the Dark Ages, forced to be submissive, anonymous and fully veiled.”
Sure, they have a long way to go, but just look at them. I have one piece of advice for the men who'll be taking office alongside them : Don't expect these women to fetch your tea.
It is not possible to bomb a people into freedom. Today the polls open because of their own courage, resilience and hope.
And clearly Iraqi women have a double gene for courage. CNN.com reports that 4,000 Iraqi women are running for office. Due to something like America’s impossible-to-decipher electoral system, one out of every three seats is guaranteed to go to a woman.
The struggle before them is enormous. CNN reminds us, “Under Hussein, Iraq was one of the more secular Arab countries, but the 2003 U.S. invasion unleashed extremist militias. Now, many activists say women have been forced back to the Dark Ages, forced to be submissive, anonymous and fully veiled.”
Sure, they have a long way to go, but just look at them. I have one piece of advice for the men who'll be taking office alongside them : Don't expect these women to fetch your tea.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Playing Leap Blog
This morning I visited Bowdawg on the Mend--the blog my sangha buddy Chris writes-- and learned that his Katrina rescue Joy Beagle is currently in need of both prayers and a pirate costume.
Then I blog-hopped to one of his favorites Faster Than Kudzu. Today's Kudzu post began with a link to Little Blue School. I laughed so hard that my oatmeal took the same exit route as the foot-long flexible nasal scope from a few weeks ago (I'm still creeped out remembering that thing was inside my delicate head).
Then I hopped back to Kudzu and read the rest of her post, which included a hysterical story about a girl named Cecily, a train trestle and a Catholic nun.
No wonder I needed a nap.
Then I blog-hopped to one of his favorites Faster Than Kudzu. Today's Kudzu post began with a link to Little Blue School. I laughed so hard that my oatmeal took the same exit route as the foot-long flexible nasal scope from a few weeks ago (I'm still creeped out remembering that thing was inside my delicate head).
Then I hopped back to Kudzu and read the rest of her post, which included a hysterical story about a girl named Cecily, a train trestle and a Catholic nun.
No wonder I needed a nap.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
The Last Word
Okay, so I am officially the LAST blogger to write about Inauguration Day. Maybe it was my plan all along—let everyone else bombard the internet with their reactions and opinions first, and then like a Ninja I slip in quietly. Because now that President Obama is ensconced in the Oval Office with shirtsleeves shockingly visible, as Obama addicts are desperately panting for more Obama, as our hourly fix is reduced to pathetic little snippets of news—he’s signing this, redoing that— just then, I post.
(While that might have been a good strategy, what really happened was a brief visit to the hospital that threw me off for days. Ah, well.)
Even so, I wouldn't have missed the day for anything. On Inauguration Day, I poured myself into a big cushy chair at the home of several other nuns (the famous Ani House) and just let myself enjoy the entire celebration.
Amidst all the activity—the shivering crowds, the cameras snapping and clicking, the security officials on alert and in constant motion , and the hopes and fears rising around the world—was this precious moment of stillness as Obama waited to walk onto the dais and take the Oath.
It is the image I will never forget.
As he delivered his Inaugural Address, I was breathless. It was both his words and what they had inspired. I contemplated the vast amount of merit being generated all over the world right then, as people actually celebrated virtues like love, patience, and compassion.
Simply put, we all stopped to think how we could be kinder to one another. And if that isn’t “Change,” then I don’t know what is.
(While that might have been a good strategy, what really happened was a brief visit to the hospital that threw me off for days. Ah, well.)
Even so, I wouldn't have missed the day for anything. On Inauguration Day, I poured myself into a big cushy chair at the home of several other nuns (the famous Ani House) and just let myself enjoy the entire celebration.
Amidst all the activity—the shivering crowds, the cameras snapping and clicking, the security officials on alert and in constant motion , and the hopes and fears rising around the world—was this precious moment of stillness as Obama waited to walk onto the dais and take the Oath.
It is the image I will never forget.
As he delivered his Inaugural Address, I was breathless. It was both his words and what they had inspired. I contemplated the vast amount of merit being generated all over the world right then, as people actually celebrated virtues like love, patience, and compassion.
Simply put, we all stopped to think how we could be kinder to one another. And if that isn’t “Change,” then I don’t know what is.
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