happy 2000 and 10.

Well, it's almost that hour where we start counting down the last few moments of the year. And as I review the minutes and days that have passed in 2009. I can't help but start to appreciate all that has happened.  It's been a big year.  Things have happened throughout the world in the past 18 months that only happen once in a hundred years.  The next time some financial catastrophe like what's happened in 2008-2009, only a handful of us who are alive right now will be around.

Though it has been a catastrophic year for many people, and though many may continue to struggle with things throughout the world; it is, objectively, nothing new.  There will be other things that take our attention once the economies of the world start functioning at a higher level, perhaps, not in the same way as they were "before".

The decade that is about to pass was one that started with an act of violence, where very few died, but many suffered.  The way it ends at least in 2009 is one in which, very few have died directly because of the financial crisis, but many have suffered directly, and everyone has suffered indirectly.

It will never be as "before," but I have hope.  I don't know where this hope comes from: I surely haven't got all of the things that I want, the things that I think I need.  But, I appreciate those things I do have.  Health, Family, Love and Beauty, Work, and Mission.  Maybe, I'm happy and hopeful because I do have these things. :-)

Waxing poetic on this night of a full moon and cold weather.  Something may be composed later on tonight!

about creating...

About creating things, I've been consuming more so I can create more recently. And by that I don't mean I've been consuming food or anything, just knowledge and other sources of information.  I hope that I can do this when I return to Southern California as well.  I'm so much happier when I'm able to create and do and write.

I was reading something on from the OkCupid blog about Race vs. rate of message reply for same-sex data.  It was interesting to analyze and synthesize the data in the respective races.  It is also interesting to snythsize the data with the opposite-sex data as well.  All this comes out of a conversation I was following on RealJock's forums about the racial "hierarchy" of "hottness."  The OP's point was "hot is hot" no matter the race.  What ensued was something less about percieved attractiveness, more about how "preferences" are "just that" preferences.

Of course, in my mind, I don't see preferences as "just" preferences.  There's a reason why they exist and also there's a manner and method in which they were created.  Part of being a human is coming to the realization that one is imperfect and that there are areas for improvement.  This reminds me of the poem President Ikeda wrote to the members of Los Angeles:

As each group seeks their separate roots and origins, society fractures along a thousand fissure lines. When neighbors distance themselves from neighbors, continue your uncompromising quest for you truer roots in the deepest regions of your lives. Seek out the primordial "roots" of humankind. Then you will without fail discover the stately expanse of Jiyu unfolding n the depths of your life. Here is the home, the dwelling place to which humankind traces its original existence - beyond all borders, beyond all differences of gender and race. Here is a world offering true proof of our humanity.


If one reaches back to these fundamental roots, all become friends and comrades. To realize this is to "emerge from the earth."

4 more days until New Year's Day!

As security has been tightened across the country in response to the attempted attack on the Delta Airlines Flight above the skies of Detroit, I wonder about the state of the US infrastructure. I understand that newer and larger airports like DIA or even ATL are better equipped to change their internal infrastructure around for security screening; however, it makes me wonder about airports like LAX or even somewhere like JWA/SNA. Would they physically have enough space to create the screening areas needed to ensure higher levels of passenger and aircraft security. Final thought: what a crazy world we live in.

As the day before yesterday was Christmas and I've been with the fam fam the past few days, it has dawned on me how much things change and stay the same. As cliched as it is, people and things around here change slowly. It may not be like LA and Southern California with it's faster-paced lifestyle, but at the same time, people don't just change in an instant, they change slowly, incrementally, sometimes quicker over a few months than others, but incrementally. It's only the time between when you see them that you notice the differences. I.e. I got called fat at home again. Lol. Welcome home!

Played a good game of Spades with the full set of rules, almost. Mayhaps, I should get another Spades group going back in SoCal.

more creation less consumption

so one thing i was thinking while i was getting my laundry done while packing today...i want to consume less and produce more. that's just i think my crux right now. I feel like all i'm doing is consuming consuming but not really creating anything.

:-) so here's to more creating in 2010.

"Retweet" - let's see where I've been since then.

1.1.07

My manifesto

Goals for Year 2007

1. I want to have a victory every day; 365 victories for 365 days.
2. On my birthday, I want to have a 32” waist (Levi size).
3. Every week, I want to share this Buddhism with someone new every week.
6. I want to read all of the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol 1 & 2
7. I want to read all of the volumes of the Human Revolution and the New Human Revolution.
8. I desire to be the wisest person in all of the land.
11. I want to be someone who Ikeda Sensei can depend on after he dies.
12. I want to support the growth of Soka University.
18. In the summer, I want to travel to Cambodia and India.
19. I want to lay the foundation for my post-graduate schooling.
20. I want to have a long term relationship.
21. I want to respond to my mentor daily.
22. I want to challenge myself to do 1 million daimoku by 27 May 2007: Class of 2007’s graduation day.
24. I want to feel compassion for everyone.
28. I want to visit with my friends in Barcelona within 18 months.
29. I want to meet the man of my life in the next year.
30. I want to develop faith like water.
32. In all aspects of my life, I will advance and have daily victories.
33. By 31 March 2007, I will slash my credit card debt to $0.
34. I will chant 3 million daimoku in the year 2007.
35. At the end of the year, I will have 8~10% body fat. *(around 170lbs)
36. By December, I will report to Ikeda Sensei that I completed all my goals for the year.
41. I will strengthen myself to have the energy, time, and strength to do all above.
46. I will see things as they are.
50. I will determine to read all of the Living Buddhisms and World Tribunes from cover to cover, the week and day I receive them.
53. I will challenge political growth, this year.
55. I will to develop myself to my fullest capacity.
56. I will to see the impossible become possible.
57. I will inspire the impossible to become possible in others.
59. I want to be cognizant throughout the year 2007 of all my actions.
60. Wherever I am in the year 2007, I want to be at the forefront, the vanguard.
61. I want to challenge all the devils and demons, challenge my negative karma and negative decisions, past and present.
62. I want to find truth in everyone, respect it, and incorporate it in my life.
63. I want to enjoy the smallest and grandest moments in life.
67. I will home visit all the members in my chapter in January.
68. I will interact and get to know all the members in my chapter every month.
69. I will put $2400 into my retirement account in 2007. ($200 per month).
70. Every month, I will put $100 into my high-yield savings account.
71. By December 2007, I will find the graduate school I want to apply to.

determination + 4 days = GLEE!

i have a growing addiction to Glee, which is confounded by the growing idocy of Fox for suspending the show until APRIL!

argh.

i will wait.

because i love you will schuester and emma.

and the quinn baby papa drama and rachel and finn and puck drama is that good too.

le sigh.

so after a hiatus

i guess i shall be blogging again. jessica hit me hard when she said it's been longer than 6 months since i last posted. there shall be some renovations coming and maybe a move to a different site in the future. but i shall start writing again. :-D