NO!!! i am NOT gettin married...heehee. he is tryin to get back wid mee tho. and of course, i learned mah lesson. i told him that if really sees me in the future wid himm then he goTTa wait for me this time. so, he's schweatin badd and i like him spending money and time on me this time....its a long stretch since i DID NOT get that when we were going. enihoo, bless all of you!!! and have a schmile, k?

Hey Ching!

I'm still agnostic on the details. We're trying to know the unknowable, prove the unprovable. As (my hero) Douglas Adams pointed out, a God who requires faith of his people isn't going to provide proof, 'cos then who needs faith? I chose Catholicism (after growing up Presbyterian) so I could worship with my wife and kids, and 'cos I like some of the Catholic music, and they invited me to play in their ensemble. I accept our theological assertions as possible, but, of course, unprovable.

I spent a long time away from the church... 18-28, I think. And really only active in the last 9-10 years. It was easy to walk away, and kind of hard to come back. Glad I did, though.

And you may have heard this before, but atheism requires as much faith as the most stringent forms of Christianity, because atheists are saying, essentially, that they believe there's nothing beyond their perception or understanding (or that they understand the things that ARE beyond their understanding well enough to know that whatever causes them, it's NOT God).

In my case, I was visited, near as I can tell, by the Holy Spirit, who gave me a fully arranged 6-part-harmony gospel-style setting of the Gloria. I'd never composed anything even halfway good before, then all of a sudden BAM! Woke up in the middle of the night, song wouldn't go away for 3 days, 'til I finally sat down and charted it out. My choir (this was back before I was a director) loved it, and it brought down the house when we debuted it Christmas Eve 1996.

So it's easy to believe when something like that happens to you. It's much tougher without any overt contact - then it REALLY takes faith.

Sorry if any of this sounded like preaching. Not my intent. I'm glad to see you've got an open mind about it!

And I hope your sister straightens out soon. Her baby needs her clean and sober.

Daf

Those are wonderful services that you mentioned.  As you all know, I am an atheist.. But I'm leaning more and more toward agnosticism of late.  Life is just too magnificent.  I compare my life to the less fortunate and I just can't help but be thankful.  I don't think that it's all a coincidence either.  There's got to be a higher power out there watching out for me!  Brian, on the other hand, has always believed in God.  He used to always tell me, "How can we be together for ever, if after you die you just turn to dust?  I'll be in heaven all by myself!"  Brian doesn't go to church, but we have resolved to start attending church soon to give our future children balance.  When they are old enough to make a decision, we will allow them to choose whether or not to continue attending.



Brian's brother Kevin recently lost his job at Sam's Club.  He has had a difficult time finding employment because of his felony (teenagers, drug possession).  They are working on an expungement.  In the meantime, several potential employers have turned him down because of this.  He began attending church again..  A good thing.  We are hoping that this will help turn his life around.  He is kind of stuck in his high school days (he is my age -- we went to the same school and belonged in the same class -- class of 96 -- we never knew each other, though).  He even used to date girls that were still in high school (up until recently) to his parents' dismay.  We are all hoping that he'll grow up and mature and look to the future, instead of looking back at the past.



Our siblings aren't really the creme of the crop..  But Brian and I have both decided to still give them the privelege of being Best Man and Maid of Honor.  To ensure that everything goes smoothly, however, we have enlisted the aid of a couple of friends.  Richard, who is one of the groom's men will be assisting Kevin and Misty, a friend of mine from work and one of the bridesmaids, will be assisting Jen.



Speaking of Richard, he and his fiancé Daniella, came over for dinner last Sunday.  Yes, they are now engaged!  Initially the plan was to gather all their friends together and propose to her on Valentine's Day (he had already purchased the ring and was just going to hang on to it until then)..  However, in light of everything that has happened, he proposed to her on September 11, fearing that if the shit hit the fan, he might not have the opportunity to profess his undying love and affection (think Forever Young -- he's just as big of a movie buff as Brian and I are).  Anyway, I cooked Menudo for us (I cook a whole bunch, too, anticipating that Jeff -- Daniella and Richard's roommate -- and his girlfriend Karen were coming).  Karen was going to bring Flan (one of my favorite desserts), but due to some unexpected complications neither Jeff nor Karen were able to attend (long story, I may tell you later).  We played some chess (Daniella recently learned how to play, Richard is playing even more frequently now).  I invited Jen to come over and help eat the food.



Speaking of Jen, she arrived bawling..  About that whole thing of being forbidden by Matthew to see their son.  Are you ready for this?  (You are about to hear Jen's account of the whole situation.)  Matt and Jen and their friends Russ and Cora (another couple -- Matt and Russ are best friends and were roommates for a really long time) and Jude (Matt's brother) got together one night and they were drinking (and probably doing drugs, too, knowing Jen) and they got really fucked up.  Cora got a bug up her ass and wanted to flash Matt and Jude (yes, they were really fucked up).  They were saying that she could on one condition: Jen must mess around with Russ (yes, they were really, really fucked up -- either that or they're just plain stupid -- then again, it might be the second one).  A person of sound mind would think, "Gee, this must be the guys' way of deterring Cora from making a complete fool of herself!"  but my retarded sister takes it literally and goes on to mess around with Russ.  Granted, Matt should have known better.  He knows how stupid and unstable my sister is..  I'm beginning to think that he might have done it on purpose to find reason to get mad at her and forbid her from seeing Logan -- but then, I can't convince myself that he is both that smart and that conniving.  So anyway, Matt popped a gasket and there you have it.  Jen is now talking to a lawyer about taking primary custody over her son..  Which Brian and I both think is a bad idea, knowing her history and knowing how little she cares for him.  What do you guys think?

I attended my sister's lingerie party. My sister is practical. She just wants Soen brand cotton briefs from the Philippines. Instead I bought her leopard-print undies simply because she whispered that's what her fiance would want (for her to wear--not him! j/k) The party was fun. I have never seen so many pink striped boxes and bags before. By the looks of it, it seems like most of us got the idea of going to Victoria Secret's.

Anyway, I talked to Liz, her maid of honor. She said that she has three sisters and each of them chose a best friend or a close friend to be their maid of honor. She thinks it's really ought to be the future bride's choice. If you really have doubts about Jen, stick with getting a best friend or close friend you can count on. The maid of honor is like the assistant to the bride. She helps with a lot of the preparations--she plans the bridal shower and what-not. It's not unheard of to have both parents walk the bride down the aisle. I think I saw it done a few times while viewing others' wedding albums.

Jay, great write-up! I wish I was there for that service as well.


There was a great thunderstorm in the Bay Area last night. The flashes of lightning and the roar of thunder frightened my mother. She postponed our appointment with the seamstress. We had a blackout, and we stumbled around looking for flashlights and candles. We listened to my auntie's battery-operated radio. The lights came back on a hour or so later.


Well, that's it for now.



Be good to yourself and each other.



Peace,
Glee

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Hey Glee, sounds like a nice service. We had one yesterday in Detroit (downtown's about 55 miles from my house). Here's the writeup I did for one of my church music lists: It wasn't Yankee Stadium, and Pavarotti wasn't there, but it was a glorious worship experience nonetheless. My soul was well-fed and nurtured. About a thousand of us jammed into Fort Street Presbyterian Church in downtown Detroit at 4pm on Sunday to pray for peace, justice, and reconciliation. Catholics, Jews, Baptists, Muslims, Lutherans, Sikhs, Methodists, Hindus, Presbyterians, Baha'i, Orthodox, and more, all praying for the healing of our nation. Music was provided by the 100+ voice Spiritual Day Tricentennial choir (this year is the 300th anniversary of the founding of Detroit), a number of cantors (or other faiths' versions of cantors), and a very active assembly. 15 - 20 different folks led us in prayer, and provided reflections, including Cardinal Maida, who gave the statement of purpose. The high points: ALL the music! (list below) Baptist Rev. Edward Branch's reflection about where God calls us; Presbyterian Rev. Arlene Wallace Gordon's prayer, based on Ps. 24; Imam Abdul Hakim Jackson's reflection about Abraham, our common ancestor in faith (best snippet for the day - "always act in faith and obedience, let God provide the results"); Prayer litany led by 3 middle school kids - one Muslim girl, one Jewish boy, one Christian girl the common thread through ALL the prayers and reflections - the shared faith and purpose that unite us. Here's what I know of the song list: Prelude: Spiritual Day Tricentennial Choir (I only caught the tail end, and did not recognize the songs, but participated where I could, when invited) Opening: America the Beautiful, assembly and choir Hymn: O God, Our Help (St. Anne, new verses by Carolyn Gillette - I'll put them below with copyright info), assembly and choir Musical Interlude: Battle Hymn (cool arrangement for B-3 and drums), choir ..........................: Total Praise (Smallwood), choir (those of us who know (and LOVE) this joined in) Chanted prayer by Jeremy Campion of the Muslim Unity Center Chanted prayer by (n?) from the Hindu temple Closing: T'filat Haderich (Traveler's Prayer), cantor Stephen Dubov of Temple Beth El and assembly - lyrics below O God Our Help, extra verses: ----------------------------------------------- O God, our words cannot express the pain we feel this day; Enreged, uncertain, we confess our need to bow and pray. We grieve for all who lost their lives and for each infured one; We pray for children, husbands, wives whose grief has just begun. O Lord, we're called to offer prayer for all our leaders, too; May they, amid such great despair be wise in all they do. We trust your mercy and your grace; In you we will not fear! May peace and justice now embrace! Be with your people here! copyright © 2001, Carolyn Winfrey Gillette, 305 S. Broadway, Pitman NJ 08071. All rights reserved. T'filat Haderich (Traveler's Prayer) ----------------------------------------------- May we be blessed as we go on our way. May we be guided in peace. May we be blessed with health and joy. May this be our blessing. Amen. May we be sheltered by the wings of peace. May we be kept in safety and love. May grace and compassion find their way to every soul. May this be our blessing. Amen. (no copyright info given) Jay

April, youre getting married? I thought you just broke up with THAT guy? As far as moms walking their daughter up the aisle, I feel that its no big deal. My mom walked my sister up the aisle since my parents are divorced and my sister insisted that Mom do it not DAD. As you might filter, my sister holds a lot of animosity towards my dad. My brother in law even tried to settle the disagreements but my sister Marie just wont have it. The market is up right now. I hope it stays there. For those of you that are watching the economy, pay close attention to those Oil Futures. If they start rising significantly, be prepared for a war with IRAQ. Ching, what a mess Jen has made. Awaiting the further exploits...

~Net

Speaking of walking down the aisle, my mom, who is not to be out-done, wants to walk me down the aisle (or down to the garden -- because it's going to be an outdoor, garden wedding) too..  So I guess she and my dad are both walking me to meet my husband-to-be.  My sister, who I guess will be my maid of honor (still thinking about it, though), continues to dodge one catastrophe over another.  First, she and Matt (the father of her baby) break up; then, she moves back in with mom and dad; a week later, she gets kicked out of the house; mom and dad do not want anything to do with her; she and Matt are friends again; mom and dad begin to tolerate her again (she actually weazeled some jewelry out of mom and my father's laptop -- even after all that went down -- can you say "spoiled" and "manipulative" ??? -- I don't care, though -- whatever will make her get her act back together -- I just feel sorry that her life is all fucked up -- then again, all our lives will be all fucked up anyway once the shit hits the fan -- but then, at least, that's not any of Jen's doing -- then again, maybe it is? -- she always has something to do with shit going wrong); everything seems to be going fine; yesterday afternoon she calls Brian and tells him that she and Matt had a major disagreement and now he refuses to let her see Logan.  She is devastated of course!  Wait till you hear why he's withholding visitation rights!  You'll find out on the next installment of.. "Jen's Fucked Up Life"

how's everybody doin??
im freezing mah ass off at school rite now...and mah bio teacher schmells bad. enihoo, i really wanted mah bros to stand next to me at mah wedding. but, we'll see how it goes. plus, me mumm is d only one walking me down the aisle...not mah father!!! well, gotta go back to the lion's den. enjoy y'all n keep smiLin (",)

Hello. Monday, SF had a Remembrance Day interfaith service. I watched it live. There were 12 to 14 different faiths represented. The most touching speech was given by a Muslim woman who wanted to give a "face" to who Muslims are. She said that she always considered herself a wife, a mother, a neighbor and that it was not until that "Tuesday" [Sept. 11] did she ever consider herself as the face of the enemy. She said the Koran does not condone violence or hatred. Another woman read from the Koran. A minister from the Metropolitan Church representing the LGBT community says that her community understood what it is like to be scapegoated and to be the recepients of hatred and violence. A Baptist minister got the most applause and a huge standing ovation when he said that the Koran mentioned removing "jehad" (sp?) from the self. He said the U.S. jehad is racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia. He said our suffering would not be gone until we remove this from ourselves. At that service at the Civic Center, people of every stripe was there. I have never seen such a peaceful and moving service such as this. It filled me with awe and hope. I wished this was aired live throughout the nation. This is what I felt our country was about. I want to see more things like this. I'm tired of the images of the towers collapsing over and over again. I'm tired of hearing about the violent bigotry Americans are acting upon other Americans.


I cannot get to my on-line diary. This sucks. I posted the e-mail my friend sent me about her narrow escape from the WTC. I am so happy my friend and her co-workers got out alive. Her story was amazing. The way she helped her co-workers was so brave. She's too modest to call herself a hero.


My sister knew that I personally dislike making decisions. She already knows I also dislike formal occassions, and she knows that she would be asking a lot from me to be just a bridesmaid. Her maid of honor is a friend from church who has already gone through numerous wedding preparations before--besides, she really loves doing that kind of stuff.


I think this is your wedding, and I feel you have the right to decide who your maid of honor will be. Same goes for Brian: he has the right to decide who his best man will be. Heck, at a friend's wedding, the bride did not have a maid of honor--she had a best man (and she had a younger sister); and the groom did not have a best man--he had a best woman.

April,



Its no better here in NY. I was at my branch Saturday and this lady covered in her robe from head to toe.

She made a black and white copy and looking behind her back just in case anyone was looking. It looked like she was so afraid for her life. She came up to the counter to pay for her copy and the article was about how muslims were hurt too about the World Trade Terrorism.

She thanked me for the copy and left the store so fast like someone was going to attack her. I felt a sad that she would be so afraid just to make a copy.

In the news, an american drove into an indian owned store. I was shocked at what people are doing out there. Just because they are muslim doesnt mean that they are necessarily bad. May God protect these innocent people.



Net

Hey April.

We have to stand by our Muslim friends! They've got to be feeling scared and hurt about all the unjustified crap they're taking from ignorant (!!!) haters.

It makes as much sense to blame all American Catholics for Oklahoma City, since McVeigh was Catholic. Blaming hundreds of millions of Moslems for the twisted actions of a small group is unfair. And stupid.

I'm pleased to see our leaders (with whom I rarely agree) reiterating this - we don't have a gripe with Arabs. We don't have a gripe with Moslems. We have a gripe with terrorists.

Daf

im glad ur friend is doing well, Cent. i had to deal with bigots and ignorants at work. we had a customer come up to our counter and slap my coworker just because she was wearing a hijab on her head. to make matters worse, she even spat at our department manager for hiring a "terrorist". yeah, it was a most stressful day at work today. plus, i went to her house and drop her off, rite. and we were watching the arabic network news on their tv. the newscasters were blaring propaganda that it was the jews that bombed the wtc. i mean, no one really knows for sure. its just very frustrating.

Great news, Net! We added Jennifer to our prayer book at church at yesterday's mass.

We had two managers from our company (Compuware) on one of the Boston planes - I didn't know them, but it still tugs at my heart.

Speaking of, I have to play a funeral for a two-month-old baby tomorrow. SIDS. She was only a week or two older than Alyssa. I'm sure she's safe in the arms of the angels, but her poor family.

So I was so ready for some good news. Thanks for letting us know, Net.

Daf.

For those of you who dont have Flags. Go to your Local Kinko's and ask for one its free. Kinkos is giving away free flags on laser paper. They will also print flags on vinyl material for 75% off. I think it comes to about 25 bucks. Just a little something the company I work for is doing for the community.

Want to have more fun? Do a Flag Chain. Print out 5 Flags on paper and give it to five people that you know. Let those people do the same and spread nationalism!! USA, USA,USA.



~Net

Jennifer Chu is alright. She survived the explosion. Dot called her parents and they said that she was in shock but shes gonna be alright. Im trying to avoid the city these last few days. Im staying with my mother in Queens. Were all just trying to take it easy. Couple of days ago, the wind changed direction and the smoke from Downtown travelled to Queens. I left a window open that night and I woke up with a headache and a bad sinus. Almost like I had an allergy attack. I took some coffee filters and used it as a mask tieing it to my face with rubber bands. Thank goodness it rained, the smoke conditions have faded. Were all trying to get back to normal. Monday, will be the beginning of it. Oh and for those of you who are Jewish, Tuesday is Rosh Hassanah. The coming week is also the UN Assembly. Its gonna be a busy week for New Yorkers. I wish you all a safe week.

~Net (Cent)

I feel sorry for those in the Washington DC and New York area..  I feel sorry for the US..  I feel sorry for the current president who has to make all these tough decisions..



We here in Kansas have been pretty much unaffected by it all.  There were rumors that floated around about a price-hike in gas right after the incident.  Of course, all of us gullible Wichitans lined up at all of the gas stations to fill up our tanks.  Yes, I was one of them.  Brian's dad actually took it further and went to Sam's Club to stock up on canned goods, etc.  Roads surrounding McConnell AirForce Base have been blocked off, making it difficult for Brian and I to drive to-and-from our house and Derby (to take care of Pogi).  The checkpoints have not helped Wichita traffic any.



At work we are collecting funds to donate to the Red Cross through our Eddie Bauer, Newport News and Spiegel phone customers.  Many people are afraid that war will ensue..  I'm worried, but optimistic that the situation will come to a peaceful resolution.  I'm hoping, anyway.  Let's pray that this is all over with by the time my parents have to return to the states.

Cent,

i really dont know what to tell you except to be strong.
THE ROAD TO SUCCESS IS NOT STRAIGHT
but WE HAVE A DRIVER CALLED GOD. All of us are next to you praying. You are not alone.

Net,

Prayers for you, and for Jennifer, and for your city, and for our country. These are sad times.

Jay

Greetings from NYC. Im okay. I woke up Tuesday and saw the second plane hit hit the other world trade tower! It was the worse shock that I ever saw with my own eyes. I tried to call my friend from Morgan Stanley and there was just busy signals. I watched the rest of the activity on television and saw both skyscrapers fall and after that I was in disbelief that this would happen in the city where I lived. I could not use my cell phone and the cable was disrupted for like 15 minutes there was no sound just pictures on the tv. Hope you friends and relatives are alright. My friend from Morgan Stanley, Jennifer Chu, is still missing.



~net

iMM a bit Lost here....who's getting married??? aLL i gotta say is...dis wiLL bee your onLy wedding day (Let's hope) and you shouLd not be forced to foLLow the norm. Make it as memorabLe and happy for the two of you as possible. This day is for you two aLone, not anybodyeLse's! iVE been Lucky to coordinate weddings....thank God, none of mah screwed up friends's...but most of them have put the emphasis on making their guests and famiLy feeL comfortabLe and contented. To avoid troubLe, there's gotta be a Line drawn somewhere.

Glee, the reason I was curious was because I didn't know if it would be appropriate for me not select my sister as Maid of Honor.  I really don't want my sister to be my Maid of Honor..  I think it will be too much responsibility for her.  But I feel that my mom and my sister are both expecting her to be my Maid of Honor.  It sucks.  Brian and I are both in the same predicament.  He would rather not have his brother be his Best Man (because he really isn't), but we both want to follow the norm.  I'm enlisting the help of my other Bridesmaids to make sure that everything goes according to plan.  I wish my sister wasn't such a screw up.  Snatch was a really good movie!  I hooked on IncrediMail!

like all other book to movie "Count to Monte Cristo" will probably be butchered. The director can only do so much. Plus what we will be seeing is the directors ideas that were taken from the book. If you translate Brad in filipino i think it goes like Brad Pwet.. =)

did you guys see the preview of the "Count of Monte Cristo"? i love that book soooo much...i just dont want it butchered like the "Musketeer"! enihoo, i saw "Snatch" again in video last nite. and since i was having a hard time understanding brad puitt (",) in pikey accent at the theatre....i just have to say, thank you berry much to the closed caption option.

I'm not the Maid of Honor because my sister is smart and very considerate.

LCTN: misplaced

Rush Hour 2 was mad funny! Dorothy gave me the translation while we were watching it. Its good that they didnt put in dubs or translate it with text on the bottom of the screen. It takes your vision away from the characters. Better to have a translator next to you or view it on DVD when it comes out.

ALIAS: Glee


SIGN: Pisces (cusp Aquarius/Pisces), Leo Rising, Moon in Virgo


BDAY: 2-21-70


HBBS: Journalling, collage making, mail art, queer/women/ethnic lit, spokenword and slam poetry, indie and foreign films

Speaking of movies, Brian and I rented Rush Hour (I forgot that I had seen it a long time ago and I wanted to see it before watching Rush Hour 2, so we rented it).&nsbp; We watched it on Saturday night and went to watch Rush Hour 2 in the theaters the following day.  Brian had previously watched it with his dad, but he didn't mind watching it again.  In part, because there were several Chinese people in the theater when they went the first time and they would start laughing before everyone else in the theater (they didn't have to wait for the translations).  It annoyed the crap out of him!  It was a lot of fun.  I love the out-takes at the end of the movie.  Out-takes are always funny!



Tonight's DVD rentals are Memento and Exit Wounds.  Both movies came highly recommended.  Memento, by Glee and Louie (our favorite video store employee) and Exit Wounds by Brian's father David and our friend Richard.  I didn't get a chance to watch Memento in the theaters as Glee had recommended a few months ago.  I'm glad that it's now available to rent. =)

cent...na....i saw jeepers creepers with my bros n sis. and we hated the plot because it was soooo missing many important details, but....it scared us silly. i am berry ashamed to admit that us siblings slept with the lights on....ALL TOGETHER!!!! in the living room. yea, it's not for the scaredy cats. and i say....props to the music director or something....heehee

k....i BROKE iT oFF for good.
c'mon guys....i am not feeling anything. but...i know it's the right thing. so, ill just leave louie in my life's lessons file.

Anybody seen Jay and Silent Bob Strike back?
I cut myself on some coral when we went skin diving in Aruba. I was surprised about the shark attacks these last few weeks and all I got from skin diving was a deep cut on my foot. Consider myself lucky.

And now a little bit of Yates for everyone...



To My Heart, bidding it have no Fear




Be you still, be you still, trembling heart;

Remember the wisdom out of the old days:

Him who trembles before the flame and the flood,

And the winds that blow through the starry ways

Let the starry winds and the flame and the flood

cover over and hide, for he has no part

witht the proud, majestical multitude.

ALIAS: Vince
SIGN: Cancer
BDAY: June 23, 1969
HBBS: Lately, Reading Irish Poetry...Yates etc,Blogging,oh and downloading soundbytes off websites.
LCTN: New York, New York