Miscellaneous rambling, and bragging about my kids.

.. like most people who value human relationships over tradition, [he] will eat meat if it is served to him in good faith..

I don't think the concept of doing no harm, is based purely on "tradition", it is more about feeling empathy and compassion for other beings.. Thus I would have thought this was the driving force behind a buddhist's choice to not eat flesh.

… I come to your house for dinner. You do not know that I am a Buddhist and vegetarian. You serve me a steak. Because I value your personal comfort and friendship more than a beef that has already been killed, and that was not killed for my personal benefit, I will eat (and enjoy) the steak.

I honestly think this is a bit of a cop out.. I mean, of course, all beef has "already been killed", and rarely is it specifically for anyone in particulars personal benefit..

What you are saying is that if you as a buddhist, find yourself sitting down for dinner with a tribe of cannibals you would gladly share and enjoy eating human flesh too, if it is offered to you, and no questions are asked..

It seems like you don't understand that a vegetarian does not eat flesh.. If there are circumstances that you do, then frankly you are not a vegetarian. You may eat predominantly vegetarian food, but clearly you are happy and willing to make exceptions..

..There is no need to be extreme; it gains nothing, and causes unhappiness.

Making an ethical stance that you do not wish under any circumstances to support the flesh trade should not be considered as extreme. It is a choice we are all capable of making, and potentially labeling it "extreme" does not really help anyone.

LET him not destroy, or cause to be destroyed, any life at all,
or sanction the acts of those who do so.
* Let him refrain from even hurting any creature,
** both those that are strong, and those that tremble in the world.
(Dhammika Sutta, v. 19)

I think the Dalai Lama, as do many other buddhists, fails to understand this concept, and attempts to justify his actions by making unfair comparisons – Hiding or playing down the cold hard bloody facts with misleading words – tradition vs human relationship.

If you invite me to dinner and I don't tell you before hand that I am vegetarian, then shame on me.. But if it happens, I will politely and respectfully refuse to eat any animal products.. This does not mean that I will not sit with you and enjoy your company, but making my stance clear from the onset, I have found, gains me more respect than allowing myself to eat something which I would be ethically opposed to..

peace,
Mango the Fruitarian

Hey man I was your big fan I wanted to say your my faverite wrestler.I well miss you so much.

Scrubs has got at least one more season as it moves to ABC. So, got a question for the cast?

damn it!!
what a song!!!
Heard it a zillion time and I still get tears in my eyes

i agree the episode isnt good… it was such a cop-out to just have montages over and over. but yeah does anyone know where i can download 'walking next to you'? the uk itunes doesnt have it and i cant even find it on l/w!

Where Did The Muppets Come From?

This article caught my interest after a coworker let me borrow his DVD of Jim Henson's early work on the Ed Sullivan Show. In it, Cookie Monster is green, has teeth, and doesn't talk. Big Bird is very similar in body but has a tiny head. And Kermit is really the exact same.

I was under the impression that Rolf the Dog was the first official "Muppet", but according to the list, Kermit was around for nearly a decade before Rolf.

All the Shakespeare stuff goes on the other blog, so when it involves my kids I have to remember to come back and link here.

Here's one

And another

Last one

Those all took place on the same morning, and are shown in chronological order.

May Chris Benoit, Nancy Benoit, Daniel Benoit all rest in peace.
Prayers for their family. I wish we all learn the truth about this ordeal. I still think Chris Benoit did not do this to himself and his family.
Prayers,
Anonymous

George Carlin died, which I suppose had to happen eventually. But it's always sad when such an iconic personality – even one when you sit back and say, "Wait, have I heard from him in the last 15 years?" — dies. It says something about the impact they had on popular culture when their loss hits people that hard, that many years later.

(The line above is actually from a Carlin routine that I happened to pull out of memory.) Just last week or so, Jim Norton told a George Carlin joke on Opie and Anthony show last week:

"For those of you keeping score, I'm ahead of Richard Pryor in heart attacks 2-1, but Richard's ahead of me in setting yourself on fire. It went a little something like this, Richard had a heart attack, then I had a heart attack. Then Richard set himself on fire, and I said F%^* that, I'm having another heart attack!"

Yes, his name is Colin Hay.

And the song is called

"Overkill"

It's a good song.