I can appreciate living on the "main street" of UCI now.  I think literally there's a bus that comes by every 5 minutes going in one direction or the other.  It makes me think -- would a bus lane be work on this street from 8a-7p on weekdays?  The busses are pretty regular already so it might not be the most important thing, but it might be a good place to show how this could work in an environment like here at UCI.

It's also interesting to have the view out your window every morning, afternoon, and evening of this major street--people riding their bikes, walking, in their cars, on the UCI bus and the OCTA bus.  Makes for a nice "view" of life outside the window.

Writing on 9/11 + 10 years

I was thinking about the topic of 9/11 due to all the media coverage of the 10th anniversary.  I remember being in bed, sick, on 9/11/2001.  The time that has passed seems to have been literally the blink of an eye.  Since that day when I was 17 until now that I'm 27, I feel as if I've grown so much as a person, but also that so much in the world has changed.  It's hard to quantify and express what I feel like has changed but I can feel in my heart that many things have changed both within my life and also in my environment.

In these past 10 years...

As I write these words, the weight of the time passed seems to suddenly hit me more.  In 2001, I was planning a SGI-USA peace festival.  In 2011, I am a Zone YMD leader.  In 2001, I had started my first month of Senior year in High School.  In 2011, I have finished my last day of work and have been preparing for life as a grad student.

In the next 10 years...

As of yet, I don't know.  What the course of my next ten years will be is obscured; however, the image that was there before was even more obscure!  The challenge is to fight where I am as best as I can.  In 2021, where will my life be? Where will my country be?  I am going to be working and contributing in a significant way to the propagation of the buddhist humanist ideals that I share with my mentor.  I am going to be a father.  The US is going to be in the forefront of efforts for a peaceful world.  My family is going to be united and joyful.  These things will be a thing of wonder but with friends in-faith and a correct guide, I am certain to see the day.

Today, I met with my Zone to plan for our future activities.  Discussion centered on what to do for our Zone 11/28 celebration.  We've come up with some tentative plans.  Want to discuss more and unite in our daimoku toward this event.  Feeling the need to chant more determined and serious daimoku right now as we start the movement toward this event.

Afterward, the West Territory Soka Spirit team had a videoconference to encourage and kick-off our daimoku, study, and disassociation efforts toward 11/28.  I was amazed by the quality of the call! United disciples are a powerful force for justice!

Then went to visit the Plaza to commence work on a LGBT Group It Gets Better video.  I am lax for having it let sit until now to start work on it; however, I want to finish it as soon as I can so that we can encourage as many people to attend the LGBT Group FNCC Conference in 2012.

Later, I got to hang out one more time with my buddy from 2006 before she returns back to Japan.  I love my Class of 2006; I think we're all social people who are probably one of the most social of the founding classes.  Got to talk with other people as well and was able to see that it's so important to trust your daimoku about your mission, honestly, that will only reveal it self until later, but the spirit to never give up is key!  Tomorrow hope to spend time talking more with others that are around right now to catch up and share, hear, and make a new departure toward the end of the year together with them.

Fighting away a cold right now and am doing my best to not overwhelm myself with stuff.  On my plate still is resumes for paid internships, transcribing the raw video for the IGBP video, and an LGBT Group meeting tomorrow.  Fighting side by side with my mentor right now, learning to create unity and strength!

Halfway through the year

It's halfway through the year and so far in the past 3 months I feel like I have had no roots.  Time to put them down in these next three months.

Looking at my life in the longer-term perspective here's what I see:

I've got goals:

1. Pay off my credit card debt without tapping into extra resources.  That looks like its going to be around 600 a month over almost 3 years! *yowza*

2. Get back down to 200#.  That looks like its going to be pretty regular lifting and cardio training over the next year to year and a half.  Working on about a pound per week.

3. Enriching the lives of the YMD in SoCal-West Zone.  That's looking like reaching out and inspiring YMD at least two to three times per week, one-to-one, life-to-life.

4. Start, advance, and take-off on my new career in Urban and Regional planning.  That's looking like I'm going to need to spend a lot of time studying for the next 12 months. It's both exciting and daunting all at once.

That's all for now!

RE:# (Rehash)

Was exploring my e-mail mailbox earlier today at work.  I found some interesting things...at the beginning of the month I was ready to challenge my human revolution regarding relationships of the three existences -- past present and future. :-)  After a week of intense daimoku it seemed like things would be fine and then over that weekend several things happened -- someone whom I dated before moved back into town, a former boyfriend e-mailed asking for a favor, a friend I pined for a long time checked me out, and a few of my dates from Colorado hit me up randomly.  I guess the past existences all just decided to pop up at once; now to see about exitstences present.

Israel & Security Lessons for the US?

I read a news story about What Israel can teach us about security in Canada & the US.  Interesting read.

What caught my attention was a quote by soHonestly, a little bit of community outrage over inefficient and

The bonds of the heart...

I love this time of year; I don't get to say it much because I'm usually running around, but 2011 has afforded me time to enjoy hanging out with my alumni friends.  I have so many things to do, but I have a few minutes to spare today before I go to bed.  It's so amazing to meet people who have bonds linking hearts.  Soka is like Glee for 4 years or Hogwarts or something else.  All those similes fail to explain it so well, but it's amazing to see a group of friends that you have this bond with, one that you can't explain so easily to people who haven't experienced it but a bond that lasts over time not dependent on space.  One that you gradually come to realize refreshes you and helps you stay focused on what your dreams are.  As the world is in transition and the things that we used to assume were quite sure are showing themselves to be not so sure, it's nice to know these bonds don't change character, they grow, strengthen, and deepen.  I love you all :D Alumni :D I lovvvveee youuuu!

92 of 100 days until December 31st turns to January 1st

So I'm going to blog this.  Gonna put my thoughts out there.

There's a lot been going on in my life since the beginning of the year.  Best part about life this year - I've been able to experience what it is like to "Rock the Era" what it is like to challenge the fundamental darkness inherent in life and not give in to it's influence and what it's like to determine to do something and follow through.

Through it all there's been a lot of challenges.  I think mostly the mental challenges, the roadblocks that we've put up ourselves, in our own minds, of what is our limitation.  I am starting to realize though that I have personal roadblocks too in my external life.

My challenges for the rest of two-thousand-and-f'ing-ten:

1. Lose weight, like significant weight.
2. Pay down my credit card debt, all while not going over my monthly income.
3. Find what path lies in my future.

Challenges a plenty, life condition, sometimes not so plenty.  So I'm going to challenge myself for the next few months to chant 2 hours a day, every day, with these specific goals in mind: Weigh 210 lbs by the beginning of next year; pay down my debts 50%; and apply to a graduate school.

Some amazing photography!

25 Breathtaking Examples of Nature Photography | Inspiration - StumbleUpon

Some inspiring nature photography i stumbled-upon.

Israeli Thoughts on Airport Security

I read an interesting article about airport security in the US.  Something that has been on my mind recently since I've been spending a lot of my vacations recently flying back between Colorado and here visiting my family in the past year.

In interviewing an expert on security for Israel, one of the people quoted in the article discussed what would change the current airport security situation in North America.

What Israel can teach us about security - thestar.com - StumbleUpon

And rather than fear, he suggests outrage would be a far more powerful spur to provoking that change.

so much hate

there's so much hate going on in the news right now. it's hard to believe that so much hate can come from people. However, the in-group-ing and out-group-ing of people is starting to drive me insane.

Honestly, I want to know how it is to become happy; I want to become happy! I want other's to become happy.  I will have to change my life so that my society changes.  I will be the best example of what it is to be a full human being.  I leave that determination up to no other.

9 days into the new year

and i've been sick for 3 of those 9 days.  not a bad start do you think?  well, chanting more today for those people who are at rock the era practice toward the MLK parade. wishing them the best of health.

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

Day 2: Headache

Kevin woke up right as he was to turn around in his dream. He was confused and unsure what was going on; his BlackBerry was ringing. The alarm clock read 5:46am. He was sure it was Alex in his dream. It reminded him of the first time they met in the coffee shop down the street from his Kevin's parents' house.

Alex pressed to pick-up his phone, "Hello?"
"Hello."
"Uhh, yes, who is this?"
"Hi, this is Roberta from Doctor Cranor's office. I'm sorry to call you this early in the morning, but it's urgent."

Kevin sat up. Doctor Cranor is his family's doctor and also Alex's father.

"Yes. What's going on?"
"Well, as you know, Doctor Cranor is your family's physician, and, in your recent move out to California, we've been sending out files to your new physician there."
"Yes?" Kevin said, sure that whomoever it was on the other end of the phone could tell that he was not sure of why they were calling him at this time of the morning to talk about files.
"...and while preparing our files to send to your new physician, it seems like there's been a couple oversights in the care of some of your acute sicknesses."
"Umm...okay. So, what do you mean?" Kevin responded slightly irritated that it sounded like a billing inquiry at a quarter to six in the morning on a Monday of all days.

"So, usually you've been getting tested for HIV here at our office the past few years, once every 6 months or so."
"Right...," unsure of where this was leading.
"Kevin, I would suggest that you get tested again."
"Huh?" unsure of himself, he felt the world start to spin. "What do you mean?"
"What I mean, is that we've had results come back the past two times you got tested that were positives, but noted that you should get a more precise test. The testing equipment we have in this complex is older and not really accurate."
"What? But, Alex was there to tell me that the results were negative."
"Yeah, I was looking over the records and it says that you never came in and it looks like nobody followed up, since you usually just come to the office for these tests."

At that moment, Kevin felt his stomach surging and gurgling while the room dove into a fatal spin.

"Okay, Roberta. You're the cheery lady that always sits up front when I come in right?"
"Yeah."
"Thank you for the information, but I'm feeling a bit sick to the stomach right now."
"Are you going to be all right?"
"Yeah, I should be, but I'm going to try and find a trash can or something."
"Okay."
"I'll go and schedule an appointment with my new doctor in an hour or so."
"Sounds good. I'm praying that your results clear you of any questions."

At the moment that Kevin ended the call, he threw up. And it wasn't one of those regurgitations that made you feel any better. It was worse than when Kevin downed a bottle and a half of tequila when he turned 21. There was nothing in his stomach and he hadn't eaten much the day before. He wasn't sure what he wanted to do next. Call in sick for work, call the doctor, call Alex, or call his mom and dad. One sure thing was that he couldn't believe what Alex had done and he was furious and depressed.

Dreams: Hikaru

I put the box of japanese ice cream into the fridge and closed the door and jaunted out into the living room. Once there, I flipped on the telelvision and then Hikki was on the television, I thought that it's nice that in the US we now have Japanese music on. David and Eric come home. This obviously is not our house or my apartment, it's definitely a hell of a lot nicer; really, it's beautiful as balls. I continue to watch while everyone else is doing their thing. I hear people in the kitchen and go to talk. To my surprise, there's Hikki in a showgirls' outfit.

(It just made me laugh, when I woke up.)