Halloween is Scotty and my favorite holiday and we love dressing up. Scotty was Uncle Sam and I was Rosie the Riveter (We Can Do It!!)
Here's a picture of our costumes this year:
Most of my awesome family came out to celebrate. Here are some cute pictures of the family : )
Scotty's parents:
We had a little party at our house and there was a costume contest. Scott as Uncle Sam won the contest, but because he lives in our house, he was disqualified from winning the prize. Therefore, my friend Danielle won first prize as the Salt Lake Tribune (the Utah newspaper - she made a dress out of it!!) and my brother Jeremy and Shepp (The Matrix Twins) won second prize. What a great night! Thanks for all that came out! Happy Halloween!
The contest winners:
Scotty-bear as Uncle Sam:
Danielle, Salt Lake Tribune Girl:
The Matrix Twins (Jeremy Faulkner and his friend Shepp):
So, I decided to go skydiving because a) I've always wanted to do it [needed to check another item off on the bucket list] and b) we could all die tomorrow so why not?!?! Well, it turned out to be one of the most amazing experiences of my life.
It was one of the best times of my life. Scott wouldn't do it with me, so I went with Jamie and Candice for Candice's 18th birthday. If you are too scared to go - go indoor skydiving in Ogden. It feels pretty much the same without the actual 13,000 foot drop.
Maybe I should take up being a skydiving instructor? It didn't scare me at all and I loved it!!!
Diligence With this influence you have a clear idea of what you are doing and where you are headed. You feel that you know who you are and are therefore confident that you can achieve your objectives. But with this influence also comes a knowledge of and mastery over the necessary material resources and techniques for achieving your ends. You need more than mere self-confidence to achieve anything, as you are well aware. So you will work diligently at whatever task you set yourself today, paying great attention to detail and making thorough use of all the material that will help you accomplish your task. You feel pride in knowing that you have done good work as well as in knowing that you have moved one step closer to your goals. Therefore you will also gain the respect of others today.
Rules: Don't take too long to think about it. List 15 books you've read that will always stick with you. They should be the first 15 you can recall in no more than 15 minutes. Tag 15 friends, including me, because I'm interested in seeing what books my friends choose. (To do this, go to your Notes tab on your Profile page, paste rules in a new Note, cast your 15 picks, and tag people in the Note, upper right-hand side.)
(This is not in order of how much I liked the books).
1. Eat. Pray. Love. By Elizabeth Gilbert – Just a very good book. Who wouldn’t want to travel to Italy to eat, India to do yoga, and Bali to find love? 2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. It reminds me of my best friend Jordan Beckstead. Also, it’s different, and I like different. “... And in that moment, I swear we were infinite.” 3. A Million Little Pieces by James Frey – Obviously it sticks with me because of all the controversy it caused, but it’s just a very traumatizing/interesting book too. 4. Conspiracy of Fools by Kurt Eichenwald – Great book about how a few people can ruin the lives of many people by being greedy, arrogant and just plain stupid. It’s the story of Enron. 5. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. Love the irony, fate, “don’t judge a book by its cover” themes in the book. Sad, but loved it. 6. Life of Pi by Yann Martel – The book claims that it will make you believe in God – and if you already believe, you will believe even more. Interesting eh? “I must say a word about fear. It is life’s only true opponent. Only fear can defeat life. It is a cleaver, treacherous adversary, how well I know. It has no decency, respects no law or convention, shows no mercy.” 7. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee -- Again, a good “don’t judge a book by it’s cover” theme. I like the thought of standing up for what is right even though it may not be socially acceptable. 8. The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka -- Kafka uses a creative way to describe the pressures of life and how they can turn on any of us at any given time. Not to mention, I had the best English teacher of my life when I read this. 9. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley -- The whole thought of starting over from scratch with a society to make it what you want it to be was interesting. No matter what the strategy, humans are still humans. Humans still have flaws. Society will never be perfect no matter how many times you try to re-structure it. 10. My Sister’s Keeper or Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult -- She asks the hard questions: What would you do if you were a mother and your kid had cancer? Would you have a child just to save the other child? If you use one child’s organs to save another’s, is that right? Are you being selfish? Would you take a death row inmates heart to save your child? What if that death row inmate was innocent but he's still being put to death? Would you fight for him? 11. Good to Great by Jim Collins -- Definitely helped me understand what type of leader I hope to be one day. And helped me gain respect for the only level five leader I’ve ever known – Kevin McCallum. It’s rare to come across them, but the business world wouldn’t function without them. 12. The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell -- This book defines how trends become trends. How these trends hit their boiling points - be it suicide, products, crime rates… and how you can stop the boiling points or continue to make your product “sticky.” It’s easy to read and I always learn something from Gladwell. 13. On The Road by Jack Kerouac -- This book is like a constant poem to me. It made me want to travel and be with friends – love when books do that ☺ “Because the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and the middle you see the blue center light pop and everyone goes “awww!” 14. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury – Why do I always confuse this book with 1984? I need to re-read both of them so I can differentiate them in my brain. Don’t you think it’s weird that it mentions people being obsessed with watching reality TV (in the future) so they stop reading? The future is now. ☺ 15. Choke or Rant by Chuck Palahniuk -- He’s a very raw/dark/creative writer which always makes for good books (and definitely “stick” with you as the theme of this note requests). Most people know him because he’s the author of Fight Club.
What is it about dad's? They just have this way of making you feel like everything is going to be okay (no matter how terrible or traumatizing the situation may be). I've been lucky to have two amazing dad's in my life. Thank you for all you do for me. Xoxo. <3
We had a great mother's day. I got to hang out with most of my favorite mothers -- Mom, Em, Grandma and Ang (We missed you Jacey!!). Just a great family day in the garden.
Scotty and I scheduled an anniversary trip to Moab. We plan to go to arches, ride bikes on slick rock trail, go canyoneering (which is basically rock climbing through the narrows) and just site seeing. Neither of us has been there and we just wanted to get away, the two of us, to spend some well needed quality time with each other for our anniversary. Any suggestions for where we should go?
Also, Nicole’s (My cousin on my Dad's side) wedding was fun. It was good to see all of my Dad’s brothers and sisters. Aunt Linda is hilarious. I was asking her what sicknesses run in our family and she was like “I have done nothing but do harm to my body and I’m not dead yet so what does that tell you?!” haha. She’s a riot. Brandon (Laura's son) is getting big too… I played guitar hero with B.J. and him for a while which was fun. Brandon can play with his back to the screen (and still get a perfect score)… what is up with that?! Man, kids these days – ... Apparently they have to much time on their hands to play guitar hero?!?!? Uncle Frank was as cute as usual, just so quiet, yet so loving. He’s pretty much the only aunt/uncle I have that will tell me he loves me.
I saw the BEST play on Saturday in downtown SLC, UT - The Passion of Sister Dottie S. Dixon. Go see it! It runs from May 1 - 17, 2009 at the Rose Wagner Theater and is only $20.
I think this is a play everyone should see. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll come to awesome realizations about judgment, love and religion.
Sister Dottie: Fearless and Funny By Michael N. Westley
The Passion of Sister Dottie S. Dixon gives a bold, humorous and poignant look into the mind and heart of a mother with a gay son.
The fact that Sister Dottie just happens to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints works as the perfect vehicle to drive a slew of irreverent and ever-sa-true jokes about the culture and situation fate has given Dottie.
Directions: - go to google image search. - type in your answer to each of the following questions. - choose a picture from the first three pages of results. - use this website (http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/mosaic.php) to make your collage. - save the image. - post.
Questions: 1. what is your name? 2. what is your favorite food? 3. what is your hometown? 4. what is your favorite color? 5. what is your favorite movie? 6. what is your favorite drink? 7. what is your dream vacation? 8. what is your favorite dessert? 9. what is a term you often use to describe yourself? 10. how are you feeling right now? 11. what is one of the things you love most in the world? 12. what do you want to be when you grow up?
Let me know if you do this cuz I'd love to see your collage.
One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school. His name was Kyle. It looked like he was carrying all of his books. I thought to myself, 'Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday? He must really be a nerd. I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on.
As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him. They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt. His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him.. He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes. My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him as he crawled around looking for his glasses, and I saw a tear in his eye. As I handed him his glasses, I said, 'Those guys are jerks. They really should get lives. He looked at me and said, 'Hey thanks!'
There was a big smile on his face. It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude. I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived. As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before. He said he had gone to private school before now. I would have never hung out with a private school kid before. We talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books.
He turned out to be a pretty cool kid. I asked him if he wanted to play a little football with my friends. He said “yes.” We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him. Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again. I stopped him and said, 'Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday?! He just laughed and handed me half the books.
Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends. When we were seniors we began to think about college. Kyle decided on Georgetown and I was going to Duke. I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem. He was going to be a doctor and I was going for business on a football scholarship. Kyle was valedictorian of our class. I teased him all the time about being a nerd. He had to prepare a speech for graduation. I was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there and speak.
On graduation day, I saw Kyle. He looked great. He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school. He filled out and actually looked good in glasses. He had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him. Boy, sometimes I was jealous! Today was one of those days. I could see that he was nervous about his speech. So, I smacked him on the back and said, 'Hey, big guy, you'll be great!' He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled. 'Thanks,' he said.
As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began. 'Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years. Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach...but mostly your friends..... I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them. I am going to tell you a story.' I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the first day we met. He had planned to kill himself over the weekend. He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn't have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home. He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile.
Thankfully, I was saved. My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable. I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment. I saw his Mom and dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile. Not until that moment did I realize it's depth. Never underestimate the power of your actions. With one small gesture you can change a person's life. For better or for worse.
God puts us all in each others lives to impact one another in some way. Look for God in others.
Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly. There is no beginning or end. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift.
My Mother… By Jessica Faulkner Chase – March 4, 2009
My mother... Light, Love, Energy, Positivity, Strength, Faith.
My mother... The Zen, Shaman, Mormon, Christian, Wiccan, Mystic.
My mother... The star. The sun. The ascendant. In alignment. The Pisces accepts all energy Earth Air Fire Water That cup is half full The moon is full Aquarius moon. Sagittarius rising.
My mother... Gave me Fate in my fingers And hands. Life line Head line Heart line Unite for Perfection of Individuality
My mother... Gave me The power of animals Those that rule North West South East Dolphins, Swans, Killer Whales Butterflies My protection.
My mother's water Calming my wind Stirring my spirit Stimulating mind Imagination. Helping me sing Helping me laugh Helping me reach for the crossed stars Teaching me respect For all things. Loving me.
My Aunt Bonnie has a cool project - now I am passing it on to you. Go to your my pictures/my doc file and find the sixth picture. Blog about it and tag six people.
My picture:
This is the most beautiful cathedral in Prague - St. Vitus Cathedral. After studying art history for years, I was able see this Gothic Cathedral in person. So amazingly beautiful *as everything was in Prague*. For more details about my Prague trip - I wrote a post about it last May : ) scroll down below. XOXO.
Tagged: Sara, Dad, Jeremy Faulkner, Emily Faulkner, Nate Faulkner, Mom
Meaningful encounter *** Valid during many months: This influence can bring with it a deeply satisfying, liberating experience; perhaps you will simply enjoy yourself with more gusto and freedom than usual and take pleasure in life. In any case this quality of time is beneficial, whether profoundly at the psychological level, or pleasurable, exhilarating and short-lived in the external world.
There may be a very meaningful encounter during this time - with your partner, someone close to you, or someone whom you have never met before. This encounter will be so deep and personal that you will have the opportunity to perceive and possibly even discuss things about yourself that you have preferred to suppress up to now, and not reveal to anyone. These things are discernible again and again, whether we care to believe it or not, especially in close, intimate relationships. They hinder our natural expression of ourselves, our being in harmony with our own bodies and other's; they make us unsure of ourselves, and cause us to anxiously avoid certain situations.
The present quality of time allows you to deal with these earlier experiences. A deep personal encounter, bringing understanding and sympathy with it, gives you the chance to behave differently and, for once, to act out of character. With such an encounter now, you can acknowledge and reveal your injury or sensitivity, without being hurt or rejected once more. This calls for great courage, as in just such a situation the old fears are resurrected and certain, well-practiced defense mechanisms come into play. That is why it is important that you allow this encounter to take place, and are able to commit yourself with all your nakedness and injury. Then you will have a deeply satisfying, healing experience that will show that you too, with your weaknesses and sensitivities, are desirable and worthy of love.
Newspaper penetration—the number of households looking at a paper—now amounts to less than 18 percent of the population, compared with 33 percent back in 1946. In its home market, The New York Times has a dismal 7 percent penetration. The New York Times Company, which, like the rest of the industry, used to reap tremendous profits, is one of the many publicly traded newspaper companies that have lost well over half their market value in the past two years.
Just this past year, shareholders of publicly traded newspaper companies have lost 83 percent of their investments, according to Alan Mutter, an astute industry analyst, blogger and former newspaper city editor. Papers are throwing out employees almost weekly, cutting national and foreign bureaus if they have them, and slicing the actual size of the product, since newsprint is a huge cost.
Meanwhile, websites are not obligated to spend money on newsprint, printing plants, or union drivers to drop their product at readers’ doorsteps. Yet they benefit from linking to all that work they’ve not done or paid a nickel for. And they supplement this borrowed reporting with user-generated content and material produced by freelancers who are paid a pittance or nothing at all. They’ve also opted for chat rooms and ongoing dialogues among their adherents—a laudable, democratic impulse, but one that often devolves into an unedited legitimization of stupidity and bigotry.
Why should we care? This matters because of the unique role journalism plays in a democracy. So much public information and official government knowledge depends on a private business model that is now failing. Journalism acknowledges and illuminates complexity, and at the same time prioritizes, helping us to evaluate the relative significance of developments playing out all around us. A very shrewd journalist-entrepreneur I know, Steve Brill, asks that one just imagine walking into a library and seeing the pages of all the books scattered on the floors and stairwells. To be sure, editors are human and subjectivity plays a role, but a newspaper places those pages—and thus the news—in some sensible order.
And, importantly, there’s a sense of social mission. Good journalism keeps public and private officials honest and helps citizens make thoughtful decisions. It does this by systematically gathering, processing, and checking relevant information, and by doing it with a spirit of independence. It’s how two previously unknown Washington Post reporters, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, put together the Watergate puzzle that forced the 1974 resignation of President Richard Nixon. And as they pursued their investigation, they, like all good reporters, followed certain commonly accepted ethical norms: You don’t take money from the people you’re covering. You don’t bow to special interests or to the economic interests of your employer. You confirm and reconfirm the accuracy of assertions and supposed facts and quotes. As an old saying used to go at the City News Bureau of Chicago, a now-defunct training ground for decades of reporters, “If your mother tells you she loves you, check it out.”
In 2005, David Jackson reported on the growing problem of home mortgage fraud in Chicago’s poorest communities. His piece, which shed light on loopholes in the system that gave birth to the sub-prime mortgage debacle, warned that the problem “now threatens to become a national financial epidemic.” If only more people, including regulators, had paid attention.
And last year, prior to a wholesale change in the newsroom’s hierarchy and my exit, The Tribune won the Pulitzer Prize for its investigative reporting on product safety hazards for children, including lead-painted toys from China, and a dangerously flawed type of baby crib. The reporters’ painstaking research and the expensive testing they commissioned by independent labs resulted in major product recalls and changes in manufacturing policy. Lives were surely saved.
Lesson 1: A man is getting into the shower just as his wife is finishing up her shower, when the doorbell rings. The wife quickly wraps herself in a towel and runs downstairs. When she opens the door, there stands Bob, the next-door neighbor. Before she says a word, Bob says, 'I'll give you $800 to drop that towel.' After thinking for a moment, the woman drops her towel and stands naked in front of Bob, after a few seconds, Bob hands her $800 and leaves. The woman wraps back up in the towel and goes back upstairs. When she gets to the bathroom, her husband asks, 'Who was that?' 'It was Bob the next door neighbor,' she replies. 'Great,' the husband says, 'did he say anything about the $800 he owes me?'
Moral of the story: If you share critical information pertaining to credit and risk with your shareholders in time, you may be in a position to prevent avoidable exposure.
Lesson 2: A priest offered a Nun a lift. She got in and crossed her legs, forcing her gown to reveal a leg. The priest nearly had an accident. After controlling the car, he stealthily slid his hand up her leg. The nun said, 'Father, remember Psalm 129?' The priest removed his hand. But, changing gears, he let his hand slide up her leg again. The nun once again said, 'Father, remember Psalm 129?' The priest apologized 'Sorry sister but the flesh is weak.' Arriving at the convent, the nun sighed heavily and went on her way. On his arrival at the church, the priest rushed to look up Psalm 129. It said, 'Go forth and seek, further up, you will find glory.'
Moral of the story: If you are not well informed in your job, you might miss a great opportunity.
Lesson 3: A sales rep, an administration clerk, and the manager are walking to lunch when they find an antique oil lamp. They rub it and a Genie comes out. The Genie says, 'I'll give each of you just one wish.' 'Me first! Me first!' says the admin clerk. 'I want to be in the Bahamas , driving a speedboat, without a care in the world.' Puff! She's gone. 'Me next! Me next!' says the sales rep. 'I want to be in Hawaii, relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply of Pina Coladas and the love of my life.' Puff! He's gone. 'OK, you're up,' the Genie says to the manager. The manager says, 'I want those two back in the office after lunch.'
Moral of the story: Always let your boss have the first say.
Lesson 4 An eagle was sitting on a tree resting, doing nothing.. A small rabbit saw the eagle and asked him, 'Can I also sit like you and do nothing?' The eagle answered: 'Sure, why not.' So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the eagle and rested. All of a sudden, a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate it.
Moral of the story: To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up.
Lesson 5 A turkey was chatting with a bull. 'I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree' sighed the turkey, 'but I haven't got the energy.' 'Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings?' replied the bull. They're packed with nutrients.' The turkey pecked at a lump of dung, and found it actually gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree. The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch. Finally after a fourth night, the turkey was proudly perched at the top of the tree. He was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot him out of the tree.
Moral of the story: Bull Shit might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there..
Lesson 6 A little bird was flying south for the winter. It was so cold the bird froze and fell to the ground into a large field. While he was lying there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on him. As the frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung, he began to realize how warm he was. The dung was actually thawing him out! He lay there all warm and happy, and soon began to sing for joy. A passing cat heard the bird singing and came to investigate. Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung, and promptly dug him out and ate him.
Morals of the story: (1) Not everyone who shits on you is your enemy. (2) Not everyone who gets you out of shit is your friend. (3) And when you're in deep shit, it's best to keep your mouth shut!
WHAT'S worse than dreaming about going to work naked? Losing your pants on a ski lift and having the photos carried on news websites. What a way to lose your job!
It’s the pic with endless punchlines, but really WTF? We went to the trouble of checking our inbox and here’s what the photographer Marty Odom had to say:
“Hello, my name is Marty Odom and I live in Vail, Colorado. I am/was a photographer on the mountain for Sharpshooter imaging. On my day off I pulled up to the lift line to see a naked man hanging from the chair lift. I happen to have my own camera with me and I shot a few pics. It was Jan. 1st and I shot the best photo that I’m going to shoot all year. I then sent it in to the Vail Daily, where it got printed the next day. Today I go into work to find out that I’m “suspended until further notice”, because the man is now suing Vail mountain and my photo makes their lift operations seem bad. The liftie forgot to put the seat down on the chair and somehow the man got stuck in the position that he was in. The chair wasn’t even stopped by the liftie, someone in the lift line had to punch the button. And even though I never mentioned the company I worked for, Vail Resorts pulled my pass and it looks like I’m going to lose my job over a photo. But the photo is worth it.
“The reason for all my ranting is that I hope you guys might enjoy this photo a whole lot. And if there is any kind of contest for “super gaper” or something that maybe I could submit it. And I thought u guys might enjoy the story behind it, the fact that it was enough to lose my job over.”
What a way to start the new year. Thanks to Marty for sending the pic our way. It’s safe to say that this would never have happened on a snowboard. Let the clever comments begin …
Tags: Vail Chairlift
LOL!
Favorite quotes at the bottom:
1) "That looks like a wang-danglin’ good time."
3) "What’s so funny? That’s how I take the lift everytime"
The Top 10 quotes of 2008, as compiled by the editor of the Yale Book of Quotations: 1. "I can see Russia from my house!" — Comedian Tina Fey, while impersonating Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin on the TV comedy show "Saturday Night Live," broadcast Sept. 13. 2. "All of them, any of them that have been in front of me over all these years." — Palin, responding to a request by CBS anchor Katie Couric to name the newspapers or magazines she reads, broadcast Oct. 1. 3. "We have sort of become a nation of whiners." — former Sen. Phil Gramm, an economic adviser to Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, quoted in The Washington Times, July 10. 4. "It's not based on any particular data point, we just wanted to choose a really large number." — a Treasury Department spokeswoman explaining how the $700 billion number was chosen for the initial bailout, quoted on Forbes.com Sept. 23. 5. "The fundamentals of America's economy are strong." — McCain, in an interview with Bloomberg TV, April 17. 6. "Decisions by the Secretary pursuant to the authority of this Act are non-reviewable and committed to agency discretion, and may not be reviewed by any court of law or any administrative agency." — the Treasury Department's proposed Emergency Economic Stabilization Act, September 2008. 7. "Maybe 100." — McCain, discussing in a town hall meeting in Derry, New Hampshire, how many years U.S. troops could remain in Iraq, Jan. 3. 8. "I'll see you at the debates, b------." — Paris Hilton in a video responding to a McCain television campaign ad, August 2008. 9. "Barack, he's talking down to black people. ... I want to cut his ... off." — Rev. Jesse Jackson, overheard over a live microphone before a Fox News interview, July 6. 10. (tie) "Cash for trash." — Paul Krugman discussing the financial bailout, New York Times, Sept. 22. 10. (tie) "There are no atheists in foxholes and there are no libertarians in financial crises." — Krugman, in an interview with Bill Maher on HBO's "Real Time," broadcast Sept. 19. 10. (tie) "Anyone who says we're in a recession, or heading into one — especially the worst one since the Great Depression — is making up his own private definition of "`recession.'" — commentator Donald Luskin, the day before Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy, The Washington Post, Sept. 14.
Devotees Say Teen Is Buddha Reborn By BINAJ GURUBACHARYA,AP - posted: 5 HOURS 24 MINUTES AGO
RATANPUR, Nepal (Nov. 12) - The teenage boy revered by many as a reincarnation of Buddha sat silently in the jungle as he blessed his devotees Wednesday with a light tap on the head, which they consider the touch of the divine.
His face was still, his long hair spilled over his white robe, and he never said a word.
Thousands of devotees have been flocking to a remote area of southern Nepal to see this teenager, whom they believe to be a reincarnation of Buddha. Ram Bahadur Bamjan emerged from the jungle on Monday. Followers believe he has spent the last three years meditating without food and water.
The followers of Ram Bahadur Bamjan, 18, believe he has been meditating without food and water since he was first spotted in the jungles of southern Nepal in 2005, when believers say he spent months without moving, sitting with his eyes closed beneath a tree.
Bamjan re-emerged this week to meet his followers, who have come by the thousands to see him in the jungles of Ratanpur, about 100 miles south of Katmandu.
"I got a chance to see God today," Bishnu Maya Khadka, a housewife, said after receiving Bamjan's blessing Wednesday. "They say he is Buddha, but for me he is just God."
Bamjan was expected to address his followers on Nov. 18 and then retreat again into the jungle for meditation, said Kamal Tamang, a Buddhist priest.
Bamjan received the pilgrims from atop a podium covered in yellow cloth and placed before a massive tree. He looked healthy and strong and showed no signs of starvation or dehydration.
Buddhism, which has about 325 million followers, mostly in Asia, teaches that every soul is reincarnated after death in another bodily form.
The Reincarnation of Buddha?
A teenage boy revered as a reincarnation of Buddha sat silently in the jungle as he blessed his devotees Wednesday with a light tap on the head, which they consider the touch of the divine. (Nov. 12)
But several Buddhist scholars have been skeptical of the claims that Bamjan is a reincarnation of Siddhartha Gautama, who was born in southwestern Nepal roughly 2,500 years ago and became revered as the Buddha, or Enlightened One.
"Being Buddha means the last birth and the highest level that can be achieved. There can be no reincarnation of Buddha, even though Buddhists believe in life after death," said Rakesh, a Buddhist scholar in Katmandu who goes by only one name.
"Meditating without food does not prove that he is the reincarnation of Buddha," said Min Bahadur Shakya of the Nagarjuna Institute of Exact Methods, a Buddhist research center in Katmandu. "There is much study needed to be done."
Bamjan has never addressed the subject in any of his speeches.
The devotees who have flocked to visit him have fewer doubts. Colorful prayer flags fluttered and incense filled the air Wednesday as the pilgrims silently approached Bamjan, who was surrounded by a line of Buddhist monks.
"I have no doubt in my mind he is a god," said Meg Bahadur Lama, a local farmer. "He has been meditating without food and water and no human can achieve such a feat. I used to hear about such miracles in the past but now I got to see one."
Tonight we gather to affirm the greatness of our nation - not because of the height of our skyscrapers or the power of our military or the size of our economy - our pride is based on a very simple premise.... summed up in a declaration made over two hundred years ago - "we hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights - that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness..." that is the true genius of America. of faith in simple dreams of insistence on small miracles...
Love this too..
They [his parents] gave me an African name - Barak - or blessing, believing that in a tolerant America your name is no barrier to success.
Full Moon in Pisces Harvest Moon Monday, September 15, 2008 2:13am PDT
The Full Moon in Pisces is a celebration of tireless dedication to the enlightenment of all sentient beings. This effort is undertaken through two paths of action: the Bodhisattvic vow to seek wisdom and apply compassionate action toward self and others. Two truths: We are all connected and there is no security; for all things are uncertain. We are nothing and everything; full and empty.
It is time we relearn to care for each other and start living communally in love and peace. Pisces wants to transcend all perceived separations. This is an evolutionarily demanding Full Moon. But you tell me, what huge challenges in your life have not, in the end, provided the most profound growth? So I ask each of you to consider the necessity of rising to the challenge of this Full Moon by reading on with serious intention.
The Bodhisattvic intention represents a revolutionary call to bring awareness to the condition of your emotional mind in an effort to uplift all other minds on this planet. With Mars/Venus/Mercury conjunct in Libra, trine the transpersonal conjunction of Neptune/Chiron/North Node in Aquarius, the great triune of personal action, love, and intelligence can be applied from a spiritually awakened concern for the welfare of the other. Add the Uranus (awakening)/Moon conjunction in Pisces, and we have ideal conditions for natural enlivenment of the awakened, compassionate mind.
This awakened compassionate mind requires that we understand the true nature of our emotions. Every emotion is sourced in the mind and mediated primarily through the production of neurotransmitters and enzymes in the brain. Thankfully, the human body is wired so we feel our emotions in the heart. But actually the quality of what we feel rests solely with how the brain’s synaptic and neuronal pathways are wired. The good news is the brain is plastic. Mindfulness opens the pathway to the wise heart, through the moment-to-moment recognition of our internal condition and it’s interaction with eternal causes. So mindfully attending to the quality of our thoughts, feelings and interactions actually enlivens compassion, empathy, and depth of intention—and rewires the brain.
In fact, the Uranus/Moon conjunction creates the conditions for a beautiful ritual to direct the power of mind toward the most evolved form of the Pisces/Virgo axis: sacrifice, service and enlightenment. Pisces is known for its desire to let go of self-identification thereby allowing the soul to merge with its source; pure consciousness. What a finish to the last two weeks of waxing Moon work on our individual desire for health, healing and service to others. This is the night to put into action all of your intentions for health and well-being and to offer this effort in service to the enlightenment of all other sentient beings.
So, no messing around with those devolved Neptunian/Piscean hedonistic fantasies of getting wasted on drugs or alcohol. This is the Full Moon to join with others and be lifted out of denial and ignorance. The world is suffering and we all need to wake up and do what we can to relieve suffering. Take responsibility for your own suffering and the suffering of others. Love yourself by loving others. Do what you can to stay in the present and in your heart.
This Full Moon comes at the height of our harvest season. On this Full Moon it is important to recognize the fundamental relationship between gratefulness and non-attachment. Use this Full Moon to look at what you cling to and your fear of letting it go. Do you spend most of your time grabbing and craving for more things; trying to fill your inner emptiness with a multitude of possessions? We come here with nothing and leave with nothing. Why then do we hold so tight to things that will not last? This is a great time to ask, “What can I freely give away? What can I share?”
Tackling the issue of non-attachment makes a great group ritual. Ask your guests to bring something they truly love that they feel ready to give away. During the ritual allow each person to openly express his or her desire for, and attachment to the object they brought, and talk about what it will mean to no longer have it in their lives. Some groups decide to exchange items with each other, while others donate everything to a favorite charity or thrift store. Either way, this giveaway ritual becomes a wonderfully freeing and very Piscean experience for everyone involved.
Use this Full Moon to create a group ritual for your family, friends, and/or community that centers on healing anger and pain. Acknowledge your own anger and pain, take it in your arms like a baby, wrap it in compassion and let love work its healing magic upon your soul. Know that your pain does not define you. Find your true self in your compassionate heart and create the conditions for peace to grow within and without. Then seek to acknowledge the pain of others while acknowledging your part in causing them to suffer. Wrap them up like a baby with your compassion, allowing love to work its healing magic. Go to them; tell them how sorry you are. Allow them to reciprocate these compassionate feelings to you. Realize that what is done to one is done to all, and create the conditions for peace to grow.
The Pisces Moon uses an intuitive recognition of truth; a direct (finally!) Jupiter in Capricorn gives us the ability to face our fear of what is painfully true about ourselves and our relations with others.
This is the Full Moon to practice compassion and selflessness by radiating peace and calm through group prayer and meditation. Unlike Virgo, its opposite sign, Pisces knows no distinctions or differences: it perceives the unity within the diversity. Pisces acknowledges our essential connectedness and realizes it through the practice of unconditional love and unwavering compassion. Because Pisces represents unconditional love and compassion, it must also deal with anger and hatred. If we waste our lives holding onto anger, resentment, and hatred, we will continue to create a world that reflects our own inner violence. Be aware that the hatred and anger in your heart is helping to feed the violence we see all over the world.
It is time to stop the senseless killing we create all around us. Give up the label of victim and embrace your own part in continued killing. It is the first step to becoming a peacemaker. If you fearlessly open your heart and let compassion be your guide, you will automatically become an active peacemaker. Love is the language of selflessness. If each of us would practice this language daily, violence would surely end.
With a determination to achieve the highest aim For the benefit of all sentient beings, Which surpasses even the wish –fulfilling gem, May I hold them dear at all times.
Whenever I interact with someone, May I view myself as the lowest amongst all, And, from the very depths of my heart, Respectfully hold others as superior.
In all my deeds may I probe into my mind, And as soon as mental and emotional afflictions arise, As they endanger myself and others, May I strongly confront them and avert them.
When I see beings of unpleasant character, Oppressed by strong negativity and suffering, May I hold them dear—for they are rare to find— As if I have discovered a jewel treasure!
When others, out of jealousy, Treat me wrongly with abuse, slander, and scorn, May I take upon myself the defeat, And offer to others the victory.
When someone I have helped, Or in whom I have placed great hopes, Mistreats me in extremely hurtful ways, May I regard him still as my precious teacher.
In brief, may I offer benefit and joy To all beings, both directly and indirectly, May I quietly take upon myself, The hurts and pains of all beings.
May all this remain undefiled By the stains of the eight mundane concerns (gain and loss; pleasure and pain; praise and blame; fame and obscurity) And may I, recognizing all things as illusion, Devoid of clinging, be released from bondage.
Can you imagine if everyone committed to practicing this humble, heart-opening, mind-transforming way of being in the world? So much would change. The Eight Verses Soundartwork can be downloaded for free.
So on this Full Moon, join with others to pray and work for peace. Allow Uranus, the awakener, in Pisces, to open your mind to alternatives. Utopia is a mindset that finds it source in the transcendent bliss of the nothingness/everythingness. This is your source; call it what you wish, but use this Full Moon to dive deep into source and open yourself to the interconnectedness of all things.
So I know everyone is so "politically talked out" but I was so confused when I watched Gov. Palin (republican VP candidate) interview on ABC last night. By the way, if you haven't watched this yet... you should...
Anyway, so she was talking about her opinions about war and such and the guy interviewing her really had a lot of great questions like why does Gov. Palin say that we are fighting "God's war" in front of her church?
I mean, I may be REALLY stupid, but isn't there supposed to be a separation between church and state? And she said, "our country deserves the right to *LIFE*. Liberty. and Freedom." Well why the hell are we going against one of the ten commandments that says *THOU SHALT NOT KILL?*. If she is going to bring God into this whole political argument then I don't understand why she is deliberately going against one of the ten commandments?
I don't know how I feel about war... I know it's important for us to be protected as a nation - but is war really the answer? Or does it make everyone more hostile and aggressive?
Are all politicians hypocrites?
Sincerely,
Confused political observer a.k.a Jessica Faulkner
