Journal for August 9,2004

Journal for August 9,2004: "I was one foot away from peeing on a rattlesnake this afternoon. I didn't even hear him rattling because it sounded a lot like me peeing. But within a few moments he came out from his rock and coiled up for a minute, then decided to take off. Mean time I was backing up while peeing. "

Ahh the joys of being Sarah and Miah.

The Globe and Mail

The Globe and Mail

OMFinG: They got it right! Too bad the Americans can't come up with this kinda commentary.

The New York Times > Washington > Campaign 2004 > Social Conservatives Criticize Cheney on Same-Sex Marriage

The New York Times > Washington > Campaign 2004 > Social Conservatives Criticize Cheney on Same-Sex Marriage Hmm...

9news.com | News

DPD officers overcome by fumes while destroying Marijuana in Evidence Locker Umm..."Destroying" Evidence?

I will marry.

Aleksei Nemov. My god, what a body! And then what a nice guy too! Doesn't hurt he's awesome in the gymnastic world: 12-time olympic Medallist.

So, today, some trouble waking up. But nothing bad. Was still able to do the things I needed to do.

Watched _Better Luck Tomorrow_. Realized the guy from Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle is the "rich guy" in the movie. It's an interesting movie, but I don't know if it translates outside the coast, or at least in like the FtC. Maybe not. I forgot how much the movie was violent, esp in the end. Other than that, I still think bravo for portraying asians with depth. Albeit a darker depth than what even standard characters are portrayed as.

Tomorrow I have an Alomodovar movie to watch. It looks promising: "Talk to her". We'll see. I did like "Que he hecho yo para merecer esto." Dark comedy, I love it.

Another thing. I'm trying to look at things more positively. And actually think it and say it and do it. So here's a few quotes from the Daily Wisdom:

20 | Aug - Do not go around lamenting to others how hard it is for you to live in this world. To do so is an act utterly unbecoming to a worty man. (WND 850) "The Three Kinds of Treasure"

22 | Aug - By considering the magnitude of the punishment suffered by those who harbor enmity towards the Lotus Sutra, we can understand the magnitude of the benefits obtained by devoting oneself to it. (WND 1095) "Reply to Jibu-bo"

So, about my complaining nature. I'm trying to kick it out the door. It likes to stay, but hey, what's it's use. No longer need it.

The Globe and Mail

The Globe and Mail: "Prof. Gordon said the findings are perhaps the strongest evidence for a once largely discredited linguistic theory.
"More than 60 years ago, amateur linguist Benjamin Lee Whorf argued that learning a specific language determined the nature and content of how you think.
"That theory fell into intellectual disrepute after linguist Noam Chomsky's notions of a universal human grammar and Harvard University professor Steven Pinker's idea of a universal language instinct became widely accepted."

MSNBC - Fighting a Phony War

MSNBC - Fighting a Phony War: "If the November election is a plebiscite on who better and more courageously served their country in a time of war, Kerry would win. "Kerry gets a bye on this anyway, he was there and Bush wasn't" says John Zogby an independent pollster who is not aligned with either campaign. He sees the battle over who's telling whose truth in Vietnam as another symptom of the great divide in the country. "We are two warring nations and neither nation is listening to the other," he says. 'This is essentially a net zero politically. It's great kindling wood for the Republicans. It's the kind of stuff they need to hear just as Dems need to hear from Michael Moore."

So, about this being serious (reference: 11.08.2004 - b) thing.

What does it mean to me?

It means that I do what I set out to do, without getting distracted. Hell, I know that's a big thing to ask of anyone, let alone myself. But, nevertheless I will try.

Got my visa! yay!

I just got my visa! Yay!

Now it's legal, and all official. I can actually go to Spain for about 4 months!

Whooohoo!

In other news, Andy is spending too much time online.

Morning Runs...

These morning run things are the best. Suge~desuyou~!

While they do require a lot of work, like waking up, eating breakfast, doing gongyo, and then going to run...it's a lot of reward: i.e. i got to look at a cute runner-dude. :D.

Also, I get to keep my health levels up. But, man, Colorado air is really thin! I go 1/3d of a mile here and I'm getting out of breath. At least, my oxygen levels will go up, I hope.

So, I'm so in a state of flux, I'm not at SUA, but I still get to hear about the things that are going on there. I'm also not on study abroad, and am waiting for it. So, I'm here in Colorado, in a state of flux, not really ready to let go of SUA, but at the same time, not really ready for Spain.

Then, the thought that does help me a bit, is that I've gotta focus on this moment to make the most out of it. Because, as was experienced yesterday, I did very little in the way of preparing for spain, or doing anything at all. So today, Run, go to Starbux, have a bit of coffee, and study a bit of spanish. At least that way, by noon, I can say that I did something.

Anywhoo, time to get out of my own stink and shower.

OMG!

You've absolutely have to check out this amazing advert from Honda $6mn, 606 takes.

Google Search: "shikha tandon"

Google Search: "shikha tandon"

Okay, so I had to do it, I googled Shikha, and came up with 376 results! You Go Girl! Hehe.

Long day

'Twas a long day.

Must be more serious about my life. Whiling it away is not an option anymore. Seek and continue seeking my mentor. I think I should get rid of my TV. The Net is just as bad, but I still need to have my computer. TV, however, is expendible. I want to keep my DVD collection though...

Maybe I just won't have cable.

Be serious. I don't devote myself to anything otherwise.

Late night, of surfing the net, chatting, and some more surfing. To bed I go.

'Night!

Searching out my mentor...

I've been at FNCC for the last few days. For those who don't know...it's an SGI retreat center in the Everglades/Fort Lauderdale. I've been having a blast. I can't believe it, but I feel that I've been making progress. But, at the same time, I really need to fight harder. Nathan said something about when he went to Japan, about continuing fighting until the last moment. It was his and other SUA student's attempt to meet with Sensei face-to-face. They patiently waited and wanted to see him, and while he was at a different part of the meeting, when they heard that he was going to come down a floor and see him....they all stopped fighting/seeking him. So, at the same time this was happening, it happened that the elevator stopped its descent and turned 'around' and went back up to the higher floors. How sad! But at the same time, what an important lesson!!!

I've started to breakthrough on certain things: my fear of ymd, heh...that's what all girls have though...:P. At the same time, i really am trying to see everyone as a person, and not just as male/female, gay-bi/straight. Really see anyone I meet as a person. It's obvious that I'm still struggling with issues of sexuality. A coming out isn't really a complete coming out. It is so a process that only starts with telling other people that you have started to think about sexuality.

How do you connect to people with whom have had different experiences? How to change my karma into mission? How to not let my arrogance from meeting people and overpower my heart? How do I encourage my friends to continue in their faith? How do I encourage my other friends to start up faith?

What can I do to make this world a better place?

These are all important questions that I don't really have any response to. I need to start figuring these things out...because my life has no mission until I start to grasp at these questions.

I've seen so many people with brilliant eyes. Black, white, yellow, red, and green people. HEhe. PEople half-awake, half-hearted, and half-way to enlightenment. We are all bodhisattivas of the earth, but do I believe it? Can I truly in my heart-of-hearts believe that EVERYONE is a bodhisattiva of the earth, that they have a buddha nature? Can I believe that I have this buddha nature.

I'm enjoying my time here, but I can feel my life's negative and positive forces battling it out.

It's such an amazing feeling to feel this. My life is really alive. I must pursue my mission, even if I don't really know what it is. I must push my life to constantly follow in the steps of Ikeda Sensei and make my life Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Nam - harmony, myo - mystic, ho - law, renge - lotus flower, kyo - teaching/vibration/sound.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo.

-Andy pandy in florida.

Zhege nanhaizi meiyouqian

I think that I'm getting more and more ready for FNCC. Knock on wood, I've got the least amount of doubt in a while now about my faith in practice. It's a good thing.

However, it seems like I have very litte inspiration to write. Things are going well. And my lack of blogging should really tell you so.

I thouroughly enjoyed my trip to SF last week, and this Friday will be my trip to FNCC. I think I'm ready.

Other than that. It's exciting to meet these new freshmen people.

Remind me to write about how much I hate arrogant cops. I could go on for hours. I'll have to tell you the story.