MP's Getting Married

I'm Baaaaaaaacck!

I don't know if I'm REALLY back but I'm back right now. So, I'm getting married; this isn't new, I just haven't mentioned it before. It's getting close though (August) and I thought you might get a chuckle as I try to avoid becoming a Bridezilla.

This year is a big year for me; I'm getting married and I'm turning the big 5-0! That's a lot to pack in one little year. Because I don't know what I want and hate planning, my half a century birthday will have to take a back seat to the nuptials; but also because I hate planning I'll be doing some scuffling as it gets down to the wire.

This isn't my first time on the matrimonial "marry"-go-round, did it 20 years ago and didn't find it to be a state of being that agreed with me. This time, well if you've got someone who's your best friend, makes you laugh, and is ultimately concerned with your happiness then what's not to like? I'm older and wiser now, and I'm not that girl anymore.

Hey! It's Time For Another Quiz!

Hello Everyone,

I'm back with another quiz that's amazingly accurate (how DO they know so much about me?)

Feel free to take it if you want, you're killing time now anyway, right?

You Are a Cappuccino

You're fun, outgoing, and you love to try anything new. However, you tend to have strong opinions on what you like. You are a total girly girly at heart - and prefer your coffee with good conversation. You're the type that seems complex to outsiders, but in reality, you are easy to please

What Kind of Coffee Girl Are You?

Green Card Soldiers

We've been hearing statistics regarding the war in Iraq officially for 5 years now. That sad anniversary was noted recently with many news stories and marches of protest.

Occasionally, when an in depth story is done about the life and death of a soldier; that soldier will be an immigrant and not a citizen. Many people myself included, wondered how a person not a citizen of this country can be in the military, but the answer is they can. From Der Spiegel (The Mirror) Online International: "In July 2002, US President George W. Bush issued an executive order to expand existing legislation to offer a fast track to citizenship to foreigners who agree to fight for the US Armed Forces. About 8,000 non-Americans have joined the US military every year since then". There is even a name that has been coined to describe this portion of our armed forces: "Green Card Soldiers".

As I was in the post office today my eyes fell on a brightly colored brochure on the counter. The brochure appealed to "Men, 18 through 25, Do The Right Thing. Register. It's Quick - It's Easy - It's The Law". Hmmm....well clearly I wasn't the target audience for this advertising, but I wanted to know what it said. I picked it up and began to read, when I got to the "Who Must Register" section I was just perplexed. "Male U.S. citizens, documented and undocumented, residing in the U.S. and its territories must register if they are between 18 and 25".

I wondered how that happened. Aren't undocumented people otherwise known as Illegal immigrants? Assuming the degree of fear and tension associated with that status is someone really going to announce that status for the purpose of registering for the draft? I just don't know.

One thing I do know: that if someone chooses to risk their lives for this country no matter their country of origin, then I am deeply respectful of and grateful to them for that.

Training For Goodbye...Tobi Knight

A couple of days ago I discovered that a friend of mine had died. It was a strange occurrence to be sure, she had been on my mind strongly for a couple of days, it seemed I heard her voice in my head. I had a fleeting thought that she was dead, but "reality" convinced me to put that thought to the side; I had no concrete reason to believe such a thing.

I sent her an email which bounced back, I called both cell and home numbers for her, they were disconnected; basically all I needed was confirmation at this point. I "Googled" her... and brought up her obituary.

I wasn't really shocked, but it hit me rather hard nonetheless. I had last seen her in August when she had come to Las Vegas for a surprise party for a friend. She looked totally beautiful and healthy, completely belying the fact that she had cancer. We had a great time, I drove her around town doing the tourist bit. She excitedly snapped her camera phone out of the car window at all the sights and entertained the idea of moving here.

We had lunch at the Red Rock Casino and talked about everything under the sun. Being with her was fun and easy, and even though we didn't see each other or talk often, when we did it was if no time had passed at all.

Tobi and I met through our mutual practice of Nichiren Daishonin Buddhism. Tobi was a woman of strong faith and whenever she had a problem, her Buddhist practice was the first place she turned to find a solution. She was charming and amusing and a great person to have as a friend, and it goes without saying, but I will, that I will miss her.

The obituary I read said that Tobi had been "fighting cancer and lost her battle". I don't think she lost anything, Tobi died on December 26th, the day after Christmas, in her sleep. In our practice we speak of a "good death"and it seems that is what Tobi had.

Goodbye my dear friend, thank you for all of things you taught me and the great times we had. I'll be chanting for you, Nam myoho renge kyo.

The Real Reason MP Has Been MIA

PD has been logging a lot of computer time as you can see.

Sorry I've been away!

Fashion Schools

Is your life incomplete without checking out the latest fashions in "Vogue". "In Style" or "W"? Do you have New York Fashion Week blocked off on your calendar? Is it unthinkable to miss an episode of Project Runway? Do you live for fashion?

Certainly you know that New York is one of the centers for fashion, and if you’ve been thinking about going to fashion school in new york then you need to go to fashion-school-finder.com. What a great site, not only do they have information about new york fashion schools, they have information on careers in fashion, fashion schools in other parts of the nation, fashion articles, (yes there’s one about Project Runway) degree programs, you name it.

For all the information you need on fashion schools in new york, check out fashion-school-finder.com.

TV Spawned in Hell: Moment Of Truth

If ever there was a TV show spawned in hell it's got to be the Fox Show, Moment of Truth. Have you ever cheated on your spouse? Would you embezzle money if you knew you'd not get caught? Have you fantasized about your next door neighbor? Is there some secret you have that's so bad that you've never told it? Would you like to tell it on national television for $10,000? How about $25,000? Well, how about $500,000?

These types of questions and worse, are the kinds of things that are asked on this "hit" show. I watched the first episode and it was the most painful thing I'd ever seen. When the male personal trainer answered the question that he didn't want children because he wasn't sure he would be with his wife for the rest of his life with a "true", I wanted to find a rock for her to crawl under.

I've watched two other episodes of this show though there have been more than two shows filmed. The thing is, most of the time I can't get past the distaste of it. This show brings out the very worst in us; who would come on the air and tell the most painful, damaging, formerly secret elements of their life for money and more importantly who would watch ?

On a subsequent episode, a woman answered questions like: "do you think I am the person you should have married?"(asked by an ex-boyfriend), and "have you had sex with anyone other than your husband since you've been married?" with a "true". The look on the husband's face when hearing the answers to these questions let us know he was totally surprised and saddened. The husband was a law enforcement officer, a very macho vocation, I can just imagine the humiliation he'll endure. Why do that to someone?

Interestingly enough, the question, "do you think you're a good person?" which she answered with a "true" was determined in fact to be false, so she ended up with no money, but lots of explaining to do.

One recent episode I watched was very interesting: it featured a chef who'd been married 20 years, both his daughters, his wife, and his mother were in the audience. The family got to hear that dad watched porn behind his wife's back, they also got to hear he wouldn't cheat on his wife even if wouldn't get caught and he didn't flirt with other women because ever since he first saw his wife she was the only woman for him.

The chef ended up stopping the show early with whatever money he'd won at that point. He stopped early because his family wanted him to, and he felt they were more important than any point he might have needed to prove. In my opinion, they should have given THIS MAN the the grand prize, but I guess that wouldn't have made great television.