Katie Holmes Catches Detour from Broadway Into Stepford Boot Camp

The May 11th issue of Star Magazine soon hits newsstands with an oddly familiar cover story. Egomaniac husband unable to accept wife's desire to live life on her own terms vainly attempts to temper wife's independent spirit with subtle acts of domination, causing them to grow apart, eventually leading husband to squelch his growing anxiety over reduction of power in their relationship through the orchestration of a diabolical solution.

Ah, yes. The Stepford Wives. The original, although a cinematically primitive made-for TV movie, much better than the remake. Rent it, if you haven't already.

Meanwhile, can anyone confirm this blind item?

Rising Corn Prices and Bio-Fuel.

The effort to turn corn into fuel (ethanol) is being criticized now because of the rising food prices. However, some of the biggest cost increases are for meat products because farm animals to be used for food are fed mostly corn. So there is another way to look at this, if more and more people turn toward vegetable based diets then we wouldn't have massive animal feed lots that require huge amounts of corn.

So by being a vegetarian or vegan we help the environment in big ways and doing so also allows us to continue increasing production of bio-fuels without raising the price of food too drastically. How? It would free up ranch land to be used to grow more wheat, rice and soy to further offset the price of corn. Switching that ranch land from raising animals for food to growing crops would also help the food shortage world wide as we'd have a surplus of grains that could be shipped to areas who desperately need it.

Just raising something to think about.

~Peace to all beings~

Ashton Kutcher Dishes Dumb at "What Happens in Vegas" World Premiere

Ashton Kutcher must have been a daredevil dolt in his youth. Carmen Diaz, still dealing with the unexpected death of her dad, couldn't make the London world premiere of their light-hearted romp, What Happens in Vegas, leaving Kutcher to wing the red carpet alone.

Kind of feel sorry for the poor sap, spilling intimate personal details of his boneheaded antics under the influence. Guess he was absent from movie star school on the day they taught how to skirt embarrassing questions by scratching one's head and smiling amiably into the camera. Feast your eyes on this interview.

I can't be the only one who thinks Kutcher had a death wish at some point in his life. Mommy Demi should have been in tow for an emergency elbow nudging, although who knows whether that would have stopped him from spouting like a schoolgirl. Must be off spreading pregnancy rumors again. Oh, those two crazy kids.

Maybe we’re all being punk'd. Passed out on a frozen river and survived? Wonder if frostbite nipped Kutcher's unmentionables. Now that might explain a thing or two about those pregnancy rumors.

Judging from tepid fan reaction in the video, Lake Bell's scarlet pom-pom sleeved number made a poor substitute for Diaz. Does anyone else regard Bell as the poor man’s Amanda Peet? They both have that strong sexy nose thing going on, wide mouths, flashing eyes, but Peet seems infinitely more reserved.

Not reading between the lines on this one -- Kutcher and Peet had no chemistry whatsoever in their box office bomb, A Lot Like Love. Maybe Bell got the part in his Vegas film because he's drawn to dark sultry and was going for more wild with his nasty.

Although judging from the latest movie trailer, if Kutcher wants more wild, he should stick to drunken jumps from second story windows.

Disturbing "I Am Legend" Played Me Like A Violin

Hate gory sadistic horror films and not exactly a fan of futuristic sci-fi either, but something about I am Legend and the critical reviews grabbed my attention.

Love the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, mega huge fan of Baltimore-bred-and-educated wife, Jade Pinkett Smith (not the hair; sorry, hon), adore the blatant nepotic casting of young family members in this and his last flick (hey, if you've got it, flaunt it). Like other armchair critics (spoiler alert), I had no idea what to expect. Figured I would roll the dice and rent the DVD.

Yah, so now that it's over and I'm shaking like a leaf, I'll sum up in one word the voyeuristic experience of living only four years into the future stalked by humanoid carriers of a genetically engineered virus wreaking havoc on the few remaining strands of humankind, transforming the city of New York into a desolate hell hole, and punctuating almost every scene with an eerie fatalism of cure or be eaten: Disturbed.

Can't fault people (spoiler alert) for thinking this one is a masterpiece. This film has blockbuster (more spoiler) written all over it. Shooting locations unheard of in average run-of-the-mill fare. Recurrent themes of racism, beacons of light in the face of darkness, faith and ultimate redemption (bonus: the music of Bob Marley plays a pivotal twisted role in plot development). Butterflies and pathos. It's all there.

Yet, the sum of the movie's parts was frightening enough to make me cry, not from sheer horror, but from deaths of characters with whom I had briefly become attached. No, not the freaky mannequins, although Smith's performance in his second trip to the video store should have been nominated for an Oscar. Let's just say when the whole shebang climaxed, I felt drained like a played violin. I should have recognized standard movie ploys and kept my distance instead of allowing myself to connect with these incarnations of the human condition.

But don't go by me. I'm a marshmallow in the face of most horror and science fiction. Mind games I can handle. Cataclysmic destruction, not so much.

Self-Parodying Journalist Slobber Features Neil Patrick Harris

So, Neil Patrick Harris triumphs with a pithy turn in the stoner adventure, Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay. But how can anyone call his no-basis-in-reality debauched former child star portrayal an Oscar worthy self-parody?

"To the delight of fans and critics alike, he reprises his turn as Neil Patrick Harris, a doped-up, egomaniacal, prostitute-loving, unicorn-riding narcissist wielding his own personalized branding iron,"

heralds Donna Freydkin's puff piece in USAToday.

Ohhhhh....I get it....since he's gay in real life (not that there's anything wrong with that) and his partying days are behind him, his film alter-ego does curvaceous hookers and copious amounts of illegal substances. According to the article, Harris has nothing in common with his "overblown movie persona, aside from the...quick wit." Quick-witted doper. Now there's a study in contrasts.

Last time I looked, "self-parody" connoted imitation of one's own characteristics. Much as Harris wink-winks in this video, his turn in last weekend's number two film is no self-parody. I mean, as long as we're at it, let's call Kal Penn's Kumar character a self-parody too. In real life, the guy is educated, politically-minded, and well-spoken.

I can't stand fawning bj slants kissing up to the rich and famous. The slobber on this one has me scrambling for an umbrella. Just get a load of the way Harris makes nice with the Britney Spears guest spot on his precious sitcom, How I Met Your Mother.

"We were so conscious when she arrived to treat her well, but not ridiculously special," Harris says. "We wanted her to feel like a guest on our show. We wanted her to feel comfortable so she could do the work. And she did."

This garbage makes my stomach turn. Harris already complained big time about the guest spot cheapening the show. That's the kind of tarty tidbit I want to read whenever he tries to skim over the brouhaha simmering beneath.

Instead, we get sanitized reporting tied up neat and tidy in a bow. For whose benefit? Readers? Or reporters who self-parody reporters of news?

It's a Start.

London (PTI): World leaders on Friday welcomed China's decision to reopen dialogue with a representative of the Dalai Lama as a "major" and "first" step in resolving the vexed Tibet issue and to end the recent unrest there.

"We, together with other members of the international community, have consistently called for dialogue between the Chinese government and the Dalai Lama. I welcome today's announcement as the first step in that process," he said.

James: This is indeed a welcome development. However, my fear is that China is only doing this to improve its image abroad ahead of the Olympics and that after the games the talks will stop. That being said, I do have sincere hope though they will engage in a meaningful dialogue andthat the two sides really listen to one another. In Buddhism listening means being fully present with that person and being mindful of their concerns instead of just hearing them but thinking only of what you'll say next. Or how you can gain the upper hand with the issue being discussed and manipulate them.

Often we think of having a dialogue as better than resorting to violence and in the true meaning of the process it is of course the best way to settle disputes. However, dialogues can become verbally violent and abusive and cause harm and distrust as engaging in physical violence and intimidation does. We have to be careful because words can cause great suffering, they can bring peace but can just as easily cause war. So we must always try to listen with compassion and empathy because our "enemy" wants to be heard and understood just as we do.

However, there are times when one must speak sternly but we should always try to keep it from being abusive. In such instances it is easy to become haughty, insulting and patronizing. Thus I try to keep my stern language to a minimum but I often fail. Right Speech is a difficult teaching for me to practice sometimes. I always forget that when I do insult others that it causes more suffering for myself. It's pretty much impossible to insult others without causing pain to yourself as well. It's like throwing a boomerang at someone with the intent of hurting them but in doing so we open ourselves up to being hurt as well as the boomerang will come right back toward us.

Anyway, I sure hope that this new dialogue produces some results but perhaps at the very least it will build trust that is critical before any compromise and positive action can occur.

~Peace to all beings~

Maybe BarneyCam Should Do Upskirts and Nipple Slips

Celebrity upskirts and nipple slips are all the rage. Everywhere I turn, another blog article or video is out there exploiting famous embarrassment. With so many cameras trained on their every move, you'd think wary celebs would be more careful not to expose their naughty bits.

Nipslips and upskirts must be the inspiration behind Beavercam. I laughed myself silly at the intrepid buck-toothed rodent strapping a webcam to his furry head while trolling Hollywood Boulevard. Having just viewed the riotous DVD of Alvin and the Chipmunks, I see a real future for The Beav.

And then I got to thinking, which came first, BeaverCam or BarneyCam?

Barney, that lovable lolling canine of Dubya and Laura Bush, is the ostensible star of holiday themed webisodes created on behalf of our Executive Branch. I first learned about Barney's star power when White House insider David Almacy spoke at the morning plenary of GW University's 2008 Politics Online Conference.

Let's just say I've been waiting for the right opportunity to set the record straight about these webisodes and though this may not be it, I'm taking my shot.

According to David, BarneyCam was born by strapping a camcorder onto the President's pet and allowing him to romp around the White House grounds. Staffers wanted to provide information about the Executive Branch and limited access to the President on Whitehouse.gov and saw the videos as a way to attract the public. The pilot episode received over 8 million hits.

After reading my article about the Conference, David got the impression that President Bush was dying to be part of BarneyCam, sort of muscling his way in on Barney's success. He wanted me to know that wasn't the case. According to David, the President is and always has been the focus of these episodes.

The first time President Bush joined the cast, he made a joke about the number of viewers, something about whether his episode would get as many hits as the pilot. As I stated in my article, the President's webisode had low viewing stats, not because he was unpopular, but because the White House allowed other sites to embed the video.

Here's the feedback I received from David:

You are correct about the first [Barneycam focusing only on Barney] - I was referring to every one since. There wasn't a specific episode just focusing on the President and the shift occurred starting in 2005 as the Internet grew. The conversation I had with him about the 8 million [viewers] was not a separate meeting but rather just before we taped his part for that year's BarneyCam.

Phew! I am so glad to get that weighty matter off my chest, especially in an article about upskirts, nipple slips, and links to the President's daughter.

After Pennsylvania, Superdelegates Should Examine Crossover Republicans

Thought I got bored with the presidential election? Tuned out? Not exactly. The real answer, if you look and listen closely, can be found in this debate of talking heads.



On the day of the all deciding, all knowing, all confetti breaking loose Pennsylvania Primary, I have a lot on my mind. Sorry, but no links. You'll just have to trust that I know what I'm talking about.

Contrary to talking head opinions, Pennsylvania and Clinton's momentum in it (or lack thereof) will not decide the election. How many times do I have to hear "New York, California, Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania..." (sometimes they even throw in Florida, as if that could somehow make a difference), and what follows it, to paraphrase, "If Obama can't win in the big states with big prizes of delegates, how can he expect to win in November?"

Idiotic profundity, as far as I'm concerned. That's the real reason I haven't been weighing in.

Obama leads in delegates. No matter what Clinton does or which states she wins from today on, Pennsylvania included, she cannot win the number of delegates needed to cinch the nomination. Prove me wrong, go ahead, the comments section is open.

That means the Democratic nominee will be decided by superdelegates, many of whom, at this stage of the election, will not commit to a candidate. We all know Democratic Party elders have leaned on them to commit. Whether they will actually do so when all states have held their primaries is any one's guess. But assuming they will, how should superdelegates decide?

Many say by looking to the popular vote, i.e. tallying up all primary votes to determine which candidate received the majority. I strenuously disagree.

Florida and Michigan were disenfranchised and though these states went to Clinton, who knows how many of their citizens didn't bother to vote? The other Democratic contenders, Obama included, didn't wage campaigns there. This on instructions of the Democratic Party. This on instructions which practically all Democratic contenders heeded except Hillary Clinton. This, in itself, shows how much Clinton is in this race for herself. But more on this point later.

Superdelegates can neither count nor discount votes in Michigan or Florida because these votes were not obtained in a fair manner. Hold primaries there again? Out of the question. Nobody will foot the bill. Not to mention the havoc it would play with the candidates' schedules. Not to mention the black eye to a Party already deciding not to seat those delegates. Not to mention whatever else I've been too busy to read as to why voters in those states will not get a second bite of the apple.

At this stage of the election, the popular vote is no longer fair game. What would have been fair back at the time of the Potomac Primaries is no longer relevant. Because of Florida and Michigan, we Democrats can never truly know which candidate won the popular vote. Now that Clinton has turned the process into an ugly mud fight for the benefit of the Republicans, all bets are off and the popular vote should go out the window with it.

I don't know about other Democrats, but at this stage of the election, I'm sticking by my party. And what I see are two candidates, Clinton and Obama, who are virtually identical on the issues. The only thing separating them, as pointed out by the talking heads video, is character and ability to lead.

Sorry if you disagree with me, but I don't think there's any question which candidate is superior in these two areas.

Clinton is not be trusted. Bosnia isn't the only lie in this woman's past. Clinton is Machiavellian when it comes to politics. Just look at the way she and Carville lashed out at Bill Richardson. Contrary to her New Hampshire crocodile tears, it's obvious to almost everyone I speak that Clinton is in this race for herself. She will do more damage to the country with policies she and Obama share than Obama ever could.

Obama, despite what talking heads want to say about his lack of patriotism, his questionable associations, and his supposed lack of experience (a subject for a later article), possesses basic goodness and decency. Obama has something Clinton will never have, couldn't have for all the spin in the news cycle.

Conviction of principles.

Make no mistake about this, my fellow Democrats, the Republicans are having a field day over Clinton's dirty politics and the piggybacking antics of John McCain. Obama has been taken through the wringer about his personal associations and out of context comments regarding bitter voters. Not that questions about such matters are off limits -- they are not -- but these questions and Obama's responses to them are muddying the waters at a time when John McCain is literally getting a free pass. Normally, these types of accusations are traded between candidates when each Party's nominee has been decided.

The only ones trading blows here are the Democrats!

At this stage of the election, anyone who is not truly affiliated with the Democrats has no right to weigh in on the Democratic nominee. I wish conservative talk radio hosts would get back to the issues. Fed up? You bet I am. These people are laughing themselves silly over Limbaugh's "Operation Chaos." When they bash Obama, and Clinton and her supporters jump on the bandwagon, it hurts the Democrats.

I know this is so obvious it sounds stupid, but the Republicans have an agenda. They bash Obama because they want to run their weak candidate, McCain, against the weaker of the Democratic candidates, Clinton. Whether Democrats are too divisive within their own party to realize this is happening, I'm not certain. All I know is that it is indeed happening. And Clinton will ride this wave of Obama criticism without regret or a second thought for the Party as far as it will take her, all the way down Pennsylvania Avenue until superdelegates put down their collective feet, stand their ground and say, "Enough!"

We all know Clinton will change with the wind, has already proven she will flop with public opinion, will alter course on any plan of action to appease criticism, will fire campaign staff at will and stomp on loyalty if it means ratcheting up her voter favoritism a notch. First woman president fantasies be damned, this is not a person the majority of Americans will vote to occupy the White House come November.

Whether she wrests the nomination from the hands of Obama in a knock down drag out fight to the end, Clinton cannot win the general election. The only thing Hillary Clinton will ever achieve from this point on is bringing the Democratic Party down in flames. That's what Republicans are hoping for, praying for, folks. Four more fat years under John McCain. They'll worry about 2012 later.

How do I know? Let's just say I talk to people. All kinds of people. Republicans included. What do they grumble about under their breath? They don't like McCain. In fact, they may crossover to the Democrat in this election, that's how much they don't like their annoited nominee.

Will they vote for Clinton? No. But they might cast a vote for Obama. Maybe. Perhaps. It depends upon a lot of different factors. However, unlike when these Republicans discuss Clinton, they haven't ruled out the possibility of a vote for Obama. Therein lies the real difference between the last two Democrats standing. The superdelegates would be wise to take notice.

In Clinton's zeal to win the nomination at all costs, she has forgotten the simple tenet of Party loyalty. She has forgotten how her personal actions could result in victory for the Republicans. This late in the process, with McCain their lock nominee and her "take no prisoners" battle cry, Clinton is rapidly scraping the shine off the Democrats one true chance to win back the White House.

When Pennsylvania primary results come trickling in tonight, if Clinton should emerge victorious, I just hope the superdelegates will have the guts and courage of conviction to look past the short term. A handful of wins in large states does not, will not assure a Clinton victory in the general election. When push comes to shove, when this battle finally does reach its culmination, the war will be won on the backs of crossover Republicans.

Could it be any more clear which of the two Democrats has the best chance of meeting them on the other side?

Earth Day, Buddhism and Vegetarianism.

Today is the day in America that we celebrate our beautiful and life-giving planet Earth which hosts us as guests. Yet we aren't often being very nice guests with our treatment of this very environment that keeps us alive and thriving. So on this Earth Day I would like to address the connection between vegetarianism and the environment. If you strongly disagree with vegetarianism and don't wish to hear how eating meat impacts or environment then you might want to avoid this post. This is a subject that I am passionate about and have mentioned often here. I am trying to do my part to help understand how our eating habits affect our well-being both physically, socially and spiritually.

The first precept in Buddhism encourages no killing and that can very much be applied to our diet. By switching to a vegetarian lifestyle we can greatly help save the environment in a big way.
Farm animals take up more water than vegetables/gains, taking nearly half of our water supply and 80% of our land. Animals raised for eating consume 90% of the soy, 80% of the corn crop and 70% of the grain. According to the Water Education Foundation, it takes 2,464 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef in California. This is the same amount of water you would use if you took a seven-minute shower every day for six entire months. In contrast, only 25 gallons of water are needed to produce one pound of wheat.

David Pimentel from Cornell University explained it this way, 40 calories of fossil fuel are needed to produce one calorie of protein from feedlot beef while only two calories of fossil fuel are needed to produce one calorie of protein from tofu. Adopting a vegan diet actually does more to reduce emissions than driving a hybrid car! Methane may be the most serious gas given off from livestock. In fact the meat industry is the number one source of methane throughout the world, releasing over 100 million tons a year. Methane is a gas that traps heat in the atmosphere and causes the earth’s temperature to rise. Noam Mohr in his report on global warming says, “methane is 21 times more powerful a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.” The summery being that raising animals for food is much less efficient than the growing of crops.

In addition, clear cutting of our precious rainforest's to raise animal meat is devastating to the overall environment for many reasons: The rainforest's clean our air, provide medicinal products, maintain a large biodiversity and act as a heat regulator and water pump for the environment.

They release moisture into the atmosphere which returns to the ground as rain. When the forest is cleared, the water cycle is disrupted, temperatures increase, droughts become common, and eventually deserts may form. For example, the drought in the Sahelian belt (south of the Saharah Desert), has been attributed to deforestation in West Africa. Estimates suggest that tropical deforestation currently contributes at least 19% of greenhouse gas emissions. Tropical forests have been described as "the lungs of the Earth". However in mature primary forest, storage and release of carbon is in balance. Carbon-dioxide consumed during photosynthesis is equalled by that released when organic matter decays. A standing forest acts as a store or sink of carbon. On the other hand, when forests are burned or logged and the debris left to decay, carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere.

Rainforest's and other forests also help reduce and prevent flooding, soaking up water like a sponge. Without those forests soil erosion increases which adds to a leaching of life giving minerals. In general, our trees are vital resources in reducing global warming and maintaining the fragile balance that enables sustainable life possible. The devastation of our forests directly contribute to increasing animals suffering by destroying their habitats within our forests they are driven to less sustaining land and eventually extinction. It isn't just our forests that suffer, our oceans are damaged by over-fishing, the destruction of plant life important to animal survival along rivers and water born diseases that threaten both human and animal life.

Vegetarianism is following the middle path because it makes it more possible to consume only what we need and reduce our negative impact on a planet which we share with so many other sentient beings. We humans arrogantly think too often that we are the center of this planet and that the environment is simply something to consume and fulfill our cravings.
However, we are learning the painful lesson as to just how fragile the life sustaining environment really is. A healthy environment maintains the balance of life that is crucial to all life on this planet and that balance is the Earth's version of the middle path. We cause great suffering when we veer off that environmental middle path.

Vegetarianism is a way to over-come our desires for less sustainable foods that aren't necessary to man's survival. In Buddhism we know the danger and suffering that awaits us when we over-indulge in our desires and our lust for meat is destroying our bodies and our very home. We are acting like parasites that suck all the life out of an organism and then move onto the next one but we are quickly running out of resources to sustain that type of living. It is quite possible that our rampant consumer economy and lifestyle choices could very well be our own down-fall, we are quite possibly slowly killing ourselves and many other innocents lives--those of the animals. See, animals do not over-consume their resources, they take only what is needed and should be examples for us in how to maintain sustainability. As we know, we are forever linked to the animals and so as they die off, so do we.

The Buddha was greatly impacted and connected with the environment as he spent much of his time in the forests and wilderness. In addition, he developed a peaceful relationship with animals throughout his life, even stopping a charging elephant with his peaceful presence and it was in a deer park that Buddha taught his first lessons. It is said that when Buddha meditated under the Bodhi tree that animals gathered all around him and didn't feel frightened by his presence.

Respecting animals is also vital to understanding the Buddhadharma because we have all undoubtedly been one in a past life and a cow that we might be responsible for killing to provide meat could have been our mother at one point. In addition, Right Livelihood advises us to not take jobs that create suffering such as a butcher of animals.

We can talk about the second precept too in not taking what is not given. An animal does not want to suffer and does not give up it's life without a fight, so in other words it is not "giving" itself to us. We are taking what is not given by killing animals. We humans constantly take from the environment and animals as if they belong to us and are simply there to serve us and our needs.

All of this being said, it is not required to be a vegetarian in Buddhism and in some areas of the world it is nearly impossible not to eat meat because of poor crop growing conditions. However, I think that if one must eat meat that they should do it with as much moderation as possible and with Right Intention. This means killing animals as humanely as possible and not doing it out of anger or unnecessarily such as sport hunting. It also means using every single bit of the animal to reduce waste and therefore the number of animals killed.

May we all find ways to help ease our Mother Earth's suffering.

~Peace to all beings~

Ah! There's a snake!

So finally spring has arrived, and it almost feels as though we have skipped straight through to summer. With temperatures in the low 20's I've been trying to take advantage of it. I had a day off work last week so Tori and I went to visit Ball's Falls Conservation area near St. Catherines, On.  It is a pretty interesting place. Two separate waterfalls used to run mills for wool and linen. There are a few remnants of buildings in which we found several snake dens. These little buggers are tricky to photographs. 

Auckland: Port of Entry

So, there we were, in New Zealand, the Southern Hemisphere, Maree and I. The first thing i noticed, stepping off the plane, was that the air contained ample oxygen for survival. That was a good sign. I felt like i could have fun in that kind of a place. The sky looked blue, everyone i met had only one head and no tentacles, and things were unmistakably Earth-like. Also,I was relieved that there was not a sea of corpses like the preacher on the hill told me there would be....



Then we went outside and i was nearly struck down by gamma radiation pouring out of the heavens on a cosmic scale. My cellular DNA began to shrivel and split, and attempted to bond with things it shouldn't, like the darkness in my shoes. It was clearly evident that at least one of the rumors i'd heard was true. The ozone layer, if not absent, was much thinner down there. Sunlight was scorching hot, and the light everyhwere felt as bright as the Badwater salt flats of Death Valley. It at least helped me stay awake.



Getting to New Zealand from Alaska is not easy. Via Los Angeles and Salt Lake City from Anchorage, it's the same distance as taking a direct flight from New York City to the South Pole. Additionally, we had a crushing 12 hour layover before we could get onto NZ Air. Fortunately we got to hang out with my old friend Jimmy Gordon, whom i hadn't seen in around 10 years! He took us on an informal tour of the place he works (Rythm and Hues), which turned out to be pretty interesting, and then he showed us around town a little bit so that we had plenty of conciousness inducing excercise to battle my fatigue from a typically sleepless red eye flight.


Dinosaurs are always cool. And it's great that they're dead.


Jimi and Michi treated us to Shabu Shabu (Japanese Fondu), which we'd never had, and was good.

While in LA we also met his girlfriend Michi for lunch, who was very cool. I was relieved that she was such a nice person because up until then i had this idea that she was super icy-evil, and, uh, tall. I guess it was because the only real pictures i'd seen of her were from a halloween costume party a year or two ago. Her costume must have been convincing. Yes, Maree and i thought Michi was very nice and only wish we'd had more time to hang out.



The official flight to New Zealand went much better than i had expected. They offered a huge variety of free, current, good movies to watch, and i had some ambien samples that worked surprisingly well. So when we finally got to Auckland the next morning (the second night of continuous travel) i actually felt less sleepy than when we had arrived in LA.




At this big city park they were preparing for a night festival celebrating the Chinese New Year. Most of the stuff they were setting out looked like it would light up at night. We were sad that we had to get on a plane and miss the party.

We didn't actually do anything in Auckland that day, which was kind of a good thing. Aukland's more intense level of traffic and intricate road system would have been stressful for me learning to drive on the wrong side of the road in the currently extra fatigued state i was in. Instead we immediately drove for nearly 4 hours to a small coastal town called Whakatani. But, on our last day of vacation we had 6 hours to kill wandering around in Auckland. It's a big city, surrounded by water with a very international mix of residents who were dressed more cosmopolitan than anywhere else in the country.


The Sky Tower is supposedly the tallest structure in the southern hemisphere. You could pay close to $200NZ to jump off it and kind of zip-line/bungie down to the bottom. It looked super fun but still that's way to much money for 12 seconds of entertainment.

I think the biggest surprise for me was when we wandered down to the waterfront and found the Queen Elizabeth 2 sitting at the dock. It was on it's final voyage, so i guess i'm lucky to have seen it, and i never thought i would.


A narrow and tall mall that had nothing interesting in it.




These two pics are of the Auckland Hilton,which sat on a pier and was designed to resemble a cruise ship.







So this is the first official post of the New Zealand Edition of my blog. Maree and i took enough pictures to makes posts for the rest of the year, so i'm going to have to get them up in a speedier fashion. I try to update, usually, every two weeks (so as not to die from a heart attack like professional bloggers do). The major posts for our vacation will probably stay up for that long, but the times in between, or minor stops will probably go up for only a week before something else comes along. I can probably handle that. Don't forget, i'm president of two companies now, AND very lazy! Hope you enjoy it.

The Power of Tea.

Green spring day
Warm tea
Taste of Nirvana

-by They Call Him James Ure

That's my first haiku, does it fit the definition?

Did you know that tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world? Second only to life sustaining water and has long been connected with Buddhism, especially within Zen Buddhism with the Japanese tea ceremony.

There is so much symbolism and lessons to be learned with tea. The Way of Tea is expressed in four Japanese characters: Harmony, Respect, Purity and Tranquility. These are all aspects of the traditional Japanese tea ceremony. I mean no disrespect to the beautiful Japanese tea ceremony by not going into the honored details of the ceremony in-depth but I am not familiar enough with them to attempt to describe them in the manner they deserve. So instead, I would like to discuss my interpretations of these words from my own understanding.

The first character, harmony reminds me of the Buddhist teaching on interconnection/inter-being. We would not be able to enjoy tea without the sun and water/rain that helped grow the tea, nor without the human hands that cultivated and harvested the leaves.

In addition, without rich soil there would be no tea and then with fitting reunion, the water is returned to the plant in a hot form to steep and release the tea into our cups. The web of factors that enable us to enjoy our tea is endless.

For me, respect in regards to tea means honoring the plant for honoring my body with it's essence and health giving properties.

Purity makes me think of the clean water used to release the pure, natural chemicals within the tea. As well as feeling like the health-giving liquid is purifying my body with each sip. In addition, thinking of purity while drinking tea reminds me of the purifying nature of drinking in the Dharma which purifies the mind.

Tranquility. Savoring tea and the warmth of the cup enables great relaxation especially when done in quietude. Tea has long been known for its ability to relieve stress, relax the body/muscles and help induce peacefulness. Sipping tea in silence helps bring about greater tranquility and can be a type of meditation itself. Speaking of meditation, drinking tea is often a lovely way of reflecting after a formal meditation.

When we talk or listen to the mindless drone of the television while imbibing tea we often miss the full tranquility that those moments of drinking tea offer us. That being said, drinking tea under many circumstance can bring plenty of benefits as well. In keeping with this idea of tranquility, I discovered a lovely tea which has the relaxing ingredients of honey, vanilla and chamomile within it.

I discovered this delicious tea the other day while at my therapy appointment. My Psychologist always offers me either tea or water before settling into the session. This particular tea that she recommended that day is called honey vanilla chamomile and it's one of the most flavorful, enjoyable teas that I have ever had, within days I went out and bought a box. I keep the tea bag in the mug for a long time to really get the most flavor and I also stir in a little sugar. It's such a nice, relaxing treat in the mid-afternoon, in the evening, after meditating or whenever. If you like tea then I'd really recommend it, it's made by the American company Celestial Seasonings.

Enjoy your tea!

~Peace to all beings~

Maybe It's the Combover: A Night at the Roxbury Reduced to Commercial

Ever wonder how a great idea gets reduced to a 2008 Super Bowl commercial? I did last night as I watched the truncated version of Pepsi's "Wake Up People" campaign. All that seems to be left of this major motion picture production is the combover guy nodding off at a diner.

The original "Roxbury Guys" would have found a way to exploit that flying wisp of hair. Heck, they'd probably offer to make combover guy an honorable Butabi.

Not familiar with the classic Saturday Night Live "Roxbury Guys" sketch created by cast members Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan? The running gag of shiny suited brothers, Steve and Doug Butabi out on the town, bobbing their heads in syncopated rhythm to Haddaway's Don't Hurt Me? At clubs, high school dances, etc., the boys stand together, a sea of dancers splitting, revealing two bobbleheads at the bar. Always mistakenly exchanging dance requests with prospective partners, it wasn't unusual for one of them to suddenly grab some unsuspecting female. The punchline, if you will, has the poor woman bouncing back and forth between both men. The bopping of heads and ravaging of dance partners made the skit an instant hilarious classic which, I suppose, is the reason Pepsi decided to tweak the idea into a commercial for soft drinks.

In 1998, Ferrell and Kattan earnestly attempted to stretch this ten minute gag into an hour and twenty minute movie. A Night at the Roxbury is the reference point for most people making a connection between the Pepsi commercial and the Butabis. The film wasn't well received, but then again, Ferrell and Kattan have always resonated more with their fans than the critics.

If these are the best out takes from the movie, this is one time I'm on the side of the critics. But I disagree with people who suggest the sketch was too flimsy for a feature film. "Roxbury Guys" had all the right elements for a feature film if it had stuck with the original punchline. Even in this short movie compilation, the essential elements of the gag -- losers who knock around women wanting nothing to do with them -- are nowhere to be found.

For some reason, mostly all that remains of the Roxbury sketches on the Internet are videos featuring SNL guest host Jim Carrey as Mark Butabi, third brother of Doug and Steve.

The episode aired in Season 21 on May 18, 1996, catapulting "Roxbury Guys" into a stratosphere reserved for SNL legends, much like Gilda Radner's Lisa Lubener, Eddie Murphy's Mr. Robinson, and Billy Crystal's Ricardo Montalban. Perhaps Carrey's edge was the impetus needed to propel the skit into a movie, but it was not the first, nor the last time "Roxbury Guys" had staked a claim at SNL.

The brothers Butabi appear to have made their debut in Season 21 on March 23, 1996. Phil Hartman, a former cast member later murdered by or with his wife, guest hosted. The boys bopped their heads to the beat of Haddaway, hanging out in a bar to harass fellow cast member Cheri Oteri. Obscure cast member David Koechner may have played the bartender. Ferrell says the characters were based upon an actual club guy in Santa Monica. No known video footage of the original sketch could be found at the time of this article.

On September 18, 1996, celebrated actor Tom Hanks hosted the show, joining the "Roxbury Guys" for another skewer of Cheri Oteri and a taste of their own medicine.

Tom Hanks with Roxbury Guys. sélectionné dans N.C.

Why Kattan stayed behind bars with those gang bangers when the cell door remained open is a mystery of live sketch comedy. When Don Pardo announces, "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night" for each show, he really means "live."

On December 7, 1996, former cast member Martin Short guest hosted episode 414. Some of that footage is mixed in with the Helen Hunt episode below. Short played a foreign relative of the Butabis out for a night on the town and a peep show. If memory serves me correctly, the gag involved a somewhat naked woman with pasties shaking her stuff as the door to the peep opened and closed at the sexiest moment. Each time it reopened, the girl was gone or someone unexpected had taken her place. Short stood there with a glazed look in his eyes grabbing for the girl, but the episode was largely forgettable. I think it ended with him being revived with heart paddles on the operating table, but, baby, don't quote me (no more).

On February 22, 1997, Season 22, episode 420 aired with Alec Baldwin as guest host. Baldwin's Butabi looked like a younger version of himself in outtakes and photos. Unfortunately, I can't find anything online other than what's mingled with Helen Hunt. Gold chains, big hair, and shiny suit. Judging from the out takes, Baldwin is the lucky friend who nabs the girls in the sketch described as "Doug and Steve get flustered."

Tina Turner performed Proud Mary live as the evening's musical guest. Now that was something spectacular. Baldwin hosted the show so many times with so many other memorable performances, it's difficult to recall exactly how he held up as a bobblehead. As with the premiere sketch, at the time of this article, other than what may be mixed into the Helen Hunt video below, no known footage of his appearance exists online.

Episode 424, Season 22, aired on April 19, 1997. Pamela Anderson had a series of mad encounters with the boys throughout the night that ended, as usual, with the Butabis leaving the scene empty handed.

Pamela Anderson with Roxbury guys. sélectionné dans N.C.

Sylvester Stallone guest hosted the show, playing "Roxbury Rocky" in Season 23. The sketch aired on September 27, 1997.

Roxbury guys with Sylvester Stallone sélectionné dans N.C.

I never sat through all the Rocky sequels, but I assume the kids running around Sly have something to do with a plot line from one of them. Yawn.

On December 13, 1997, in episode 435, Helen Hunt guest hosted, appearing as a psychoanalyst for the Guys after her Best Actress Oscar win for As Good As It Gets. Co-star Jack Nicholson made a riveting cameo appearance that nearly brought down the house. Unfortunately, this compilation video is the best I could find. Apparently, many of the "Roxbury Guy" videos have been removed from YouTube for copyright violations. Somehow, they missed this one. Let's hope they don't find and unembed it before you finish this article.

What may be the final Roxbury sketch first aired on September 26, 1998. Cameron Diaz guest hosted, appearing as the mysterious woman who finally lets the Guys take her home.

Roxbury Brothers avec Cameron Diaz sélectionné dans Humour et Sketchs

When the episode aired again on Comedy Central around 9/11, I remember the country, for the most part, still being in a state of shock, workers tearing up Ground Zero digging for survivors, and later for recovery of human remains, at least what hadn't been completely incinerated. It's almost seven years later, yet I haven't quite fully recovered.

Yes, it served as an awful reminder of a horrendous American tragedy. Fellow Americans need your help. Donate. Give blood. The mood of the country? Fairly morose would be an understatement.

And then, Dan Ackroyd and Steve Martin made it all disappear. For a moment, I know I was -- perhaps anybody watching the episode who had been a fan since SNL's inception was -- transported back to a kinder, gentler, happier time. Not that the late 70's weren't turbulent. They were. And like today, gas prices were bringing down the economy.

But back then, watching the Not Ready for Prime Time Players, I could always count on a lift in my spirit. So many classic sketches and characters. The Fenstruk Brothers -- plaid clad clashing barfly foreign imbeciles, never got the girl, always acted inappropriately -- made me burst out laughing each time they gyrated their hips and pointed those fingers. "We are two wild and crazy guys," uttered in the foreign accent of people barely able to speak English was a catch phrase back then. Kind of in the nature of "You bet your sweet bippy," or "Mom always liked you best."

SNL has evolved a lot since then and still makes me chuckle, just not like the guffaw days of the late 1970's. The moment the Fenstruks revealed themselves at the bar, a cloud lifted. I felt happy again. And life slowly moved on.

Like the Haddaway song that started the saga, "Roxbury Guys" will live on.

Hawaii's State Flower

Many consider the red hibiscus the flower of the state but the yellow hibiscus is the official flower of Hawaii. This is adapted from a photo I took in front of the Mahana Hotel on the magical island of Maui. This is also a popular surf spot called Rainbows which gets pretty darn good on a north or west swell.
Mahalo.

Florida Teens Violent Video Explained

Just in case skanks don't get the message.

New Zealand: Unexplained

A Note On Fisher's Recovery

Thanks to everyone for all their support with comments, emails and phone calls. After a really rough (for us and him) first week, he is doing much better this week. Starting today he is no longer on pain medication and gets his stitches out on Monday. He had a setback the first week when he did one of those twisty dog shakes, reflexively. It hurt him very bad and he didn't want to move again for a full day. Then he slipped and fell down on some linoleum which caused hemorrhaging under the skin, leaving his stomach black and blue. Every day he starts acting more like himself. He goes out unsupervised now, and even chased a dog out of his yard. He was 85 pounds at his most recent weigh in, down from his normal 100+. For now we are sticking to very short walks around the neighborhood not more than two blocks distance before making a loop back. After that distance i start noticing his leg shaking from the stress, and it would suck for me if he couldn't make it back. He's wanting to go longer though, so now we will probably do two walks a day because at this point it's all about strength building.

Be Like Clouds.

Let your actions be like clouds going by; the clouds going by are mindless. Let your stillness be as the valley spirit; the valley spirit is undying. When action accompanies stillness and stillness combines with action, then the duality of action and stillness no longer arises.

-Pei-chien

James: There is nothing that needs be said after such beautifully worded insights.

~Peace to all beings~

PHOTO CREDIT: Himalaya Blue and thanks to Tom for giving me the site address.

Castle Mountain

Here is a photo from my road trip last summer through the rockies to Vancouver. This is Castle Mountain in Banff National Park. I think this is the first good picture I have taken from a moving vehicle and am also please with how the clouds cooperated with me today.

If Wishy-Washy Dems Had Their Way at the Convention

(Hillarobama's hair is a spewed version of the original)



Source: [Panda Pages]

Neil Patrick Harris "Will and Graces" Britney Spears

Despite good reviews and great ratings for her psycho receptionist guest spot on the popular TV program How I Met Your Mother and buzz about a possible recurring role, cast member Neil Patrick Harris would rather ban Britney Spears from appearing on the show again.

As reported by Erin Carlson via AP, the former Doogie Howser, M.D. star wants the show to succeed on its content, not guest stars.

"I worry that if they start `Will and Grace'-ing us too much, that the show will suffer. And we're all really proud of the content of the show. I mean, viewership is not our game. It's the network and the studio's game, you know. It's the promotion department's game," said Harris in an AP story that appeared the previous week.

And so, like Jumping the shark," "Will and Gracing" enters the lexicon as a term of art in the world of entertainment.

Let me take a shot at a definition:

"Will and Gracing" - peppering low-rated entertainment with guest stars to increase advertising revenue.

Anyone else want to take a stab?

Evolution of a Gossip Exclusive - Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz are Engaged

I may be giving away too much information about my investigative reporting techniques - HA! - but couldn't leave this one languishing on the trail.

The titillating "stop the presses" news about the engagement of Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz seems to have started with an exclusive dish at in Touch magazine sometime yesterday.

As of posting time, blondesaresoout had updated all her friends at Friends or Enemies with "breaking news" about the engagement approximately nineteen hours prior. No permalinks here, folks. You'll just have to trust that it came from the horse's mouth.

This morning about 9:00 a.m. their time, Starpulse ran with the item as if it broke the story. No credit to in Touch. Ouch.

About seven hours ago article post time, the story began to rise dramatically in the Wikio entertainment world. It has four votes currently. Wonder how many it will have by the time you visit the link.

From there it became fodder for the gossip masses. At least Blackberry had the decency to credit the original source.

Ashlee and Pete's engagement news is quickly making its way across the blogosphere. At posting, The Hollywood Gossip led the pack, taking credit for the story about eight hours ago ahead of other blogs hoping to make a splash. Maybe it's just my computer, but some content was blocked as spyware, so you may not want to follow this link. I just find it amusing that the "Free Britney" reporter gave credit for the story to US Weekly.

Us magazine buzzed the story as an exclusive today, I guess because they added tacky gossip about Ashlee's possible pregnancy. Can't discount the possibility of a hush-hush pregnancy now can we? Don't ask me how that somehow elevates the story into exclusive territory. But many bloggers probably won't take the time to investigate, and soon the real in Touch exclusive will be just another faded memory.

Does an exclusive remain an exclusive news item if the online community gives the credit to another source?

That was a rhetorical question.

By this evening, the mainstream media will have the story as leading news. It will be interesting to see who gets the credit for the exclusive.