My Kami

These are some of the things i would put in my Kami:

A Sunflower b/c it is my favorite flower and to bring sunshine and light to my life
A guardian Angel as I would want her to watch over me and my family
My fathers obituary as I would want him to watch over me
My grandmothers obituary i would want her to do the same
My favorite poem by Maya Angelou b/c its an inspiration to me

DWYER, WILLIAM MICHAEL
2002-12-02
William Michael ("Bats") Dwyer died suddenly on Friday, November 29, 2002. He was 51 years old. Mr Dwyer was born April 16, 1951 in Yonkers to Martin and Felicia Montella Dwyer. He graduated from Yonkers H.S. William served in the US Army with the First Calvary and was a Vietnam War veteran. Mr. Dwyer was a member of the VFW Lowerre Post #3083. He was employed with the NYS Dept. of Transportation in the Eastview Garage from 1990 as Highway Equipment Operator. His wife Elizabeth Barone Dwyer survives him. Beloved father of William, Jr., Staci, Wayne Dwyer and Patricia Pugsley. Dear brother of Martin A. and Gerard M. Dwyer. Adored grandfather of Wayne, Jr. and Aaron. Visitation Tuesday, 2-4 and 7-9 PM. Funeral Mass Wednesday, St. John the Baptist Church, 10 AM. Interment, St. Joseph's Cemetery. FLOWER FUNERAL HOME, INC. 714 Yonkers Ave., Yonkers 1-800-2-FUNERAL
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GENTILE, MARY
2006-08-22
Mary Gentile died on August 20, 2006. She was born in Dora, AL on May 26, 1927. She was predeceased by her beloved husband Vito. Mary was the mother of William, Frank and Mike Cole, a grandmother and a great-grandmother to numerous children. As a young widow she worked various jobs to raise three sons prior to marrying Vito in 1961. She then became a full-time homemaker and “Mom“ to neighborhood kids. She may die poor in man's eyes, but she will live as a rich woman in God's presence. Funeral Service Wednesday 1 pm at the Flynn Memorial Home Inc. Interment private. FLYNN MEMORIAL HOME INC. 325 South Broadway Yonkers 914-963-5178
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Phenomenal Woman

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.

I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size

But when I start to tell them,They think I'm telling lies.

I say,It's in the reach of my arms

The span of my hips,

The stride of my step,

The curl of my lips.

I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,That's me.
I walk into a room

Just as cool as you please,

And to a man,

The fellows stand or

Fall down on their knees.

Then they swarm around me,

A hive of honey bees.

I say,It's the fire in my eyes,

And the flash of my teeth,

The swing in my waist,

And the joy in my feet.

I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me.
Men themselves have wondered

What they see in me.

They try so much

But they can't touch

My inner mystery.

When I try to show them

They say they still can't see.

I say,It's in the arch of my back,

The sun of my smile,

The ride of my breasts,

The grace of my style.

I'm a woman
Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me.
Now you understand

Just why my head's not bowed.

I don't shout or jump about

Or have to talk real loud.

When you see me passing

It ought to make you proud.

I say,It's in the click of my heels,

The bend of my hair,

the palm of my hand,

The need of my care,'

Cause I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me.

I would place my Kami near the entrance of my home by the front door. This is so if any negativity may try and pass my kami can protect from all negative vibes.

Canada Publicly Welcomes Dalai Lama, Defies China

By REUTERS
Published: October 29, 2007
Filed at 4:58 p.m. ET

OTTAWA (Reuters) - The Canadian government defied China on Monday, proceeding with public meetings with the Dalai Lama and criticizing Beijing's efforts to prevent the talks.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper hosted the Tibetan spiritual leader in his office in Parliament, with television cameras and photographers present, and presented him with a maple-leaf scarf.
"I hope that the entire world gets the message that attacking a 72-year-old pacifist Buddhist monk, who advocates nothing more than cultural autonomy for his people, is counterproductive," junior cabinet minister Jason Kenney, who attended the meeting, told reporters.
In 2004, then-Prime Minister Paul Martin met the Dalai Lama privately at the home of the Roman Catholic archbishop of Ottawa, but the venues were upgraded to government buildings for his current visit.
"I don't care. The important (thing) is meeting (in) person. That I consider is the most important," said the Dalai Lama, wearing a maroon and saffron robe.
"So whether meeting (the) prime minister in the office or private house doesn't matter, so long as (it is) a meeting with people face to face."
The Dalai Lama was also scheduled to meet with Governor General Michaelle Jean, representative of Canada's head of state, Queen Elizabeth. Earlier on Monday, he met Kenney, secretary of state for multiculturalism, at the Department of Heritage.
The Dalai Lama -- who was granted honorary Canadian citizenship in June -- is also meeting leaders of Canada's opposition parties on Tuesday, though this time in a hotel.
The Chinese embassy would not answer phone calls but in a statement to the Globe and Mail newspaper the Chinese Foreign Ministry denounced the Dalai Lama as a separatist who operates under the guise of religion.
"China has on many occasions made solemn representations to the Canadian side on the proposed visit of the Dalai Lama," it said.
"We call on the Canadian side to clearly understand the nature of the Dalai Lama's separatist activities and treat seriously China's serious concerns, and not to allow the Dalai Lama to visit, not allow him to use Canadian territory for activities to split China, and not to do anything to harm Sino-Canadian relations."
U.S. President George W. Bush and leaders of Congress gave the Dalai Lama the Congressional Gold Medal in a packed ceremony in the U.S. Capitol on October 17.
China canceled an annual human rights dialogue with Germany to show its displeasure with German Chancellor Angela Merkel's meeting last month with the Dalai Lama.

What is the big oredeal with the Dalai Lama visiting on the Canadian side? Whats up with China? Why all the controversy? Could someone please elaborate ?

Jainism, Hinduism, Sikhism & Buddhism

In Jainism they believe in nonresistance, nonattachment, renunciation of sexual pleasure, honesty and monastic beliefs. Jainism broke away from Hinduism, Hinduism believes in the caste system, you are born into it.They also believe in only one God. Sikhism is that there is a God even though they can not describe him/her they are aware of him/her and to anyone who is prepared to dedicate the time and energy to become accepting to him or her to become one with God . Buddhism is a religion without a Creator God who created the universe. Buddhism focuses on the present time making it as good as possible. We are responsible for our own lives. We should improve what we can around us. Buddhism and Jainism both believe in nirvana which is the highest place to be in both religions-its the cream of the crop...........

A Few Voices From the Deepening Silence

CLOSELY WATCHED Burmese soldiers guard Sule Pagoda in Yangon, a site of protests last month.
By SETH MYDANS
Published: October 14, 2007
Bangkok
THE world saw them flooding the streets in Myanmar last month, Burmese citizens emboldened by tens of thousands of red-robed monks to cast aside the fear that had held them down for two decades. For a few buoyant days, the streets of Yangon, the main city, belonged to them, and they were free.
But few outsiders have heard their individual voices. The ruling junta crushed the protests at the end of the month, and since then has carried out a campaign of nighttime arrests, cleansing monasteries and neighborhoods of people they say rose up against them. The fear has returned, people say, and is sharper than before.
And so it was an act of courage for a few Burmese to share their thoughts with a long-time foreign resident of Yangon who knows them well and is known to this reporter. The foreigner recorded and transcribed the words of a dozen people and translated the accounts of those who did not speak English. The texts were then sent out through a private channel, evading a government clampdown on the Internet.
The anonymity of these people is part of their story. Neither the foreigner nor the speakers can be identified for fear of retribution against those who speak out. Two teachers, a young man, a housewife, an abbot, a businessman — all tell the same story in their different ways. It is the story of a people ruled by terror, stripped of freedom, who do not know when their suffering will end. SETH MYDANS
A housewife recalled the brutality she saw while shopping for food Sept. 28:
I saw people in the street just beaten up for no reason — just walking along the road, not even part of the protests. There was this young boy, he was alone and not shouting with the crowd or clapping. This captain came up to him, just started beating him and the boy fell on the street. Then the police pushed him into one of those trucks that were lined up to take demonstrators.
As they pushed him, he fell again. Then the police took out a big stick and gave him a huge blow on the back. After that, the captain told everyone in the street that they had 10 minutes to clear off. People were running for their lives. The vendors started to grab their things. There was one lady selling fritters and she had a big vat of hot oil — she had to walk with this oil and they came after her and beat her to make her move faster. I saw two boys at that moment walking up with cellphones. The captain grabbed the boys, took their cellphones and pushed them into the truck.
Someone who was with me at a previous job lost her son in these protests. He might have been on his way home, but we don’t know. This mother had a friend in the army and she asked him for help. He told her to stay home and — no questions. The son, her only child, is still missing.
A young man described how the junta has clamped down on social exchange, destroying trust among people:
There is no more connection between people. It’s been broken. In our own neighborhood, the security groups will arrest anyone who is heard talking about these events. Even at tea shops we can’t talk about these things. These thugs will remember who you are and come to arrest you later. We can only talk to people we know on the street and never to strangers now. No one says anything at the market and everything has to be in secret. The bars have emptied out both because no one has any more money and what fun is it to get drunk when you can’t talk?
Even now we don’t dare take our transistor radios to listen to foreign broadcasts outside. Just in the last few days, we have been threatened with arrest by local authorities for doing this in our ward. Anyone with a cellphone or camera will have it confiscated.
This is not the end. This is just a stopping point and we are not satisfied. We don’t know the future but we will keep our anger burning inside.
A teacher talked about the pain of seeing Buddhism desecrated and the fear of the military that spread among the monks.
It is almost coming on 50 years that we have clung to our culture by tolerating this military government. But something we revered was insulted.
I cannot continue to tolerate this. We only hope that bad karma will fall upon them but there’s nothing else we can do now.
I know dozens of monks. One monk is very old. He is 78. It never occurred to him that in his lifetime he would have to hide. The day after the shootings started, I went to this monastery and the faces that I saw on those monks was something I had never seen. It is not fear. It was a sadness so unbelievable.
Now the young monks that I talked to — who weren’t rounded up — they want to disrobe. They don’t have the moral courage to go on. “Better to be a layman,” they said.
I told them that this would be a terrible loss for our Buddhism. “No,” they say, “What’s the use of meditation? The power of meditation can’t stop them from beating us.”
The worst thing now is that no amount of persuasion from the abbots will stop the young monks from disrobing.
An abbot of a monastery where hundreds of children are taught said three-quarters of the monks had fled:
How difficult this is. ...They ran away for their security. ... We have students studying English but our English-teaching monks have left us. We are very unhappy now. I would like to invite guests to see this, but I am afraid.
A teacher who organizes the curriculum for the monks added:
When the soldiers raided the monastery, they came into the school and tore down pictures of some tourists with whom the monks had been practicing English at Shwedagon Pagoda. The soldiers would circle the monastery at night to see if these monks would come back so they could be arrested.
A businessman whose company lost an enormous amount of business during the upheaval lamented Myanmar’s isolation:
I joined the peaceful demonstrations to show my support. I would do it again. I don’t agree with sanctions on Myanmar. Of course, I may be biased because I’m a businessman. My own experience of traveling to other countries opened my mind and changed my life. I loved the freedom I found in the United States. It was something I had never experienced. If I hadn’t spent time abroad, I would have ended up as a military man. Or else I could have been an informer exposing the conversation we’re having right now.

This saddens me monks have went into hiding due to fear of retaliation from the government. What isthis world coming too? It infuriates me to know that these religious individuals are scared to show there faces and are even disrobing .

Assigment-October 9th, 2007

What seems to amaze me is the way individuals view "POVERTY" everyday when leaving for work,I get on the bus and on my way down South Broadway I see people sleeping in doorways and especially in Lincoln park on the benches wrapped up in a blanket or newspaper covering them. I could remember when i was younger on holidays I made it a point to take a dish out to someone in that same park, they didnt have to ask and i didnt make them feel as if they were needy. I just walked with two of my friends and said hey its the holidays and Im stuffed would you like a hot dish. With a smile on their face, taking it gladly and thanking me continuosly. What happened to the generousity, empathy, and just giving a damn about people who are less fortunate?

Now a days individuals are consumed with their everyday life they do not even focus on what others do not have. They are to consumed with what they are getting to worry about the next individual. The nasty looks the less fortunate get, snarls, stares from people amazes me on how this generation is so materialistic and quick to turn their head to the side because someone looks different, or doesnt live the same way. What happened to us? we are so quick to go to other countries to feed the poor but what about the poor in the U.S.A? It just makes me so furious how we all never really stop to think about this. We can send canned goods to other countries, donate money to certain charities for foreign countries. What about just walking outside your own house to the local park, corner, train station and giving a plate, a canned good or just a nice simple hello. It doesnt cost anything to make a difference in someones life for one day.

I understand there are some individuals that do not want the help that choose to be in poverty(very rare) but it does happen. There are some that do not utilize the resources out there but who are we to judge and how do we know if that individual we just passed is the one who denied help WE DONT !!! all Im saying is just b/c someone doesnt live the "NORM" doesnt mean they are not deserving of the American dream or for that matter a MEAL!!

Let me know what you think I feel very strongly about this and would love others opinions

Assignment- Gandhi

After learning about Mohandas Gandhi, in what ways do you think he practiced Hinduism? What parts of Hinduism did he emphasize? What parts seemed less important to him? Would he consider himself a good Hindu? Would you agree with his self-assessment? Based on both the material in your textbook and the film we saw in class, reflect on these questions and then answer them in a well-developed essay for one of your blog posts this week

Gandhi practiced Hinduism the way he felt best. Gandhi did not praise gods he preached for peace and non-violence He would not be considered a good Hindu b/c he did not follow the traditional laws. Gandhi has stated he did not think he was a good Hindu. What Gandhi is known for is his non-violent protests. Gandhi was agianst the caste system he felt everyone should be treated equally as a person. Gandhi would be considered a peace maker. He practiced unselfishness and was totally devoted to his belief's as he understood what a good Hindu should be.

He continuosly fasted, and was being arrested for his protest and beleifs. This was a man who truly believed in trying to change his people. He not only made an impact on his people but Mahandas Gandhi is known all over the world for his efforts for non-violence. Some of our greatest leaders like Martin Luther King took on some of Gandhi's teachings. This was a man devoted to making a change and he did.