my mom’s trip to NYC

My 66-year-old mom stayed a week with us. My 5-year-old finally met his grandma and they clicked right away. He even did twenty (20) points as if it was a video game of some sort. Actually for my youngest son, life’s a video game. In any case, he behaved, ate properly and did whatever my mom asked him to do in order to get a toy he wanted very badly — Skylanders SWAP Force from Activision ($80 before sales taxes) for Nintendo Wii on the day of its release. He’s being playing ever since.

My mom even came with us to church although my 5-year-old didn’t want to participate in the choir — nothing new for his lazy self. I know he’d miss her. He even told her so when saying goodbye — something he’s never done before with anyone.

My 12-year-old, in the other hand, enjoyed his grandmother’s company and her constant hugging. He’d also miss his grandma in his own special way.

My psychologist spoke about the process of healing two weeks ago. In short, her ridiculously short visit was healing — something I’d have never expected. Said the latter, I’d truly miss my mom.

12 years after

Twelve years ago, some fanatic freaks in the name of religion destroyed the Twin Towers, part of the Pentagon and trashed a fourth commercial plane in the outskirts of Pennsylvania.

Religion had NOTHING to do with the stupidity, anger and blood-thirst of these animals. They simply used Allah (one of the many names for God) as an excuse to the DEVIL‘s work.

Close to 3000 people died that morning and many people are still dying of related respiratory and/or other deceases.

To make matters, 9/11/2012 (eleven later after the first attack, also on a Tuesday) more fanatics attacked the US diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, and coldbloodedly killed everyone inside.

All the while, we still live in constant fear. Worse of all, the US may now invade Syria in the WAR ON TERROR false sense of security.

Read more of what I dare to say (type) about the atrocities of the original 9/11 (12 years ago) and the second (mere a year ago).

1. religion after 9/11 (03/17/2010)
2. fear vs paranoia (05/21/2010)
3. domestic idiots, NYC in danger (05/13/2010)
4. broken back, broken hope, broken faith… no God? (07/27/2010)
5. 9 years after (09/11/2010)
6. 9 years after, 9 years of fear (09/11/2010)
7. 9 years after: being upset (09/12/2010)
8. Islamophobia? (06/08/2011)
9. a decade later, still worried (9/11) (09/09/2011)
10. Gott ist tot! (9/11) (09/11/2012)
11. Gott ist tot! (9/11/2012, not 9/11/2001) (09/13/2012)
12. Gott ist tot! (9/11/2012, not 9/11/2001), revisited (09/14/2012)

Maybe Nietzsche was right when he said, “Gott ist tot!“

Now read what FAPC included in its Facebook page — copied textually.

“A Psalm for 9/11, and for Syria.

Restore us again, O God of our salvation,
and put away your indignation towards us.
Will you be angry with us for ever?
Will you prolong your anger to all generations?
Will you not revive us again,
so that your people may rejoice in you?
Show us your steadfast love, O Lord,
and grant us your salvation.

Let me hear what God the Lord will speak,
for he will speak peace to his people,
to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.
Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him,
that his glory may dwell in our land.

Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet;
righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
Faithfulness will spring up from the ground,
and righteousness will look down from the sky.
The Lord will give what is good,
and our land will yield its increase.
Righteousness will go before him,
and will make a path for his steps. (Psalm 85:4-13)”

Sunday series: 02/19/2012 (#178A)

Where: Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church at 11am

Bible reading:

“1 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, 2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. 3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. 4 Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. 5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. 6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. 7 And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. 8 And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only. 9 And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.
14 And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, 15 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. 16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. 17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. 18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour. 19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? 20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.“ (Matthew 17:1-9, 14-20 KJV)

Comments then:

1. Transfiguration Sunday
2. side effects if [my] medications (drowsiness) stopped abruptly on Thursday 16th

Comments now:

1. I’ve got no idea why made the second comment above. Perhaps it was related to the comment below.
2. That day I went to an adult education class on drug addiction, which was a total waste of my time. I felt somewhat patronized having some doctor talking about drugs — as if, I didn’t know about them already. Maybe it was a good hour or so for other people to fill in the blanks of their ignorance, but not for me. In times like this, I wish I could just tell the speaker to shut up, stand and walk out, but I must behave especially in a church. What makes a specialist think he/she could walk in my shoes (trainers actually)?

interesting: how meditation actually works? simple, mind over matter

excerpt to avoid legalities…

“How does meditation actually work?
Neuroscientists are researching centuries-old Buddhist mindfulness techniques and their effects on the brain[.]
Knowledge can be communicated, but not wisdom. One can find it, live it, do wonders through it, but one cannot communicate and teach it.
This line from Herman Hesse’s 1922 novel Siddhartha came unbidden to me during a recent weeklong visit to Drepung Monastery in southern India. His Holiness the Dalai Lama had invited the U.S.-based Mind and Life Institute to familiarize the Tibetan Buddhist monastic community living in exile in India with modern science. About a dozen of us — physicists, psychologists, brain scientists and clinicians, leavened by a French philosopher — introduced quantum mechanics, neuroscience, consciousness and various clinical aspects of meditative practices to a few thousand Buddhist monks and nuns. As we lectured, we were quizzed, probed and gently made fun of by His Holiness, who sat beside us. We learned as much from him and his inner circle — such as from his translator, Tibetan Jinpa Thupten, who has a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Cambridge, and from the French monk Matthieu Ricard, who holds a Ph.D. in molecular biology from the Pasteur Institute in Paris — as they and their brethren from us.
What passed between these representatives of two distinct intellectual modes of thinking about the world were facts, data — knowledge. That is, knowledge about the more than two-millennia-old Eastern tradition of investigating the mind from the inside, from an interior, subjective point of view, and the much more recent insights provided by empirical Western ways to probe the brain and its behavior using a third-person, reductionist framework. What the former brings to the table are scores of meditation techniques to develop mindfulness, concentration, insight, serenity, wisdom and, it is hoped, in the end, enlightenment. These revolve around a daily practice of quiet yet alert sitting and letting the mind settle before embarking on a specific program, such as ‘focused attention’ or the objectless practice of generating a state of ‘unconditional loving-kindness and compassion.’ After years of daily contemplative exercise — nothing comes easily in meditation — practitioners can achieve considerable control over their mind.”
http://www.salon.com/2013/08/02/how_does_meditation_actually_work_partner/singleton/

Sunday Series: sabbatical, not so

I haven’t written anything in the past several days. One of the reasons was not having BlogDesk installed. The main reasons were lack of time (work, meetings, etc) and interest (not in the best mental state, no medication, worries up to the wazoo, as well as paying for my past sins every second of my life). Living with a chemical disorder in the brain and fighting off the demons in my head has become tiring. Paying for my sins as I take every breath of NYC polluted air has also old and it’s taken a huge toll on my mental health — not to mention the rest of my health.

Coming soon, we’ve got a four-hour (+/-4) procedure that my second boy’s got to go through two weeks from now, which my fucking union-sponsored health insurance refuses to pay.

The following week would Vacation Bible Study (VBS) for my youngest boy who practically knows nothing about God. The little booger’s practically an atheist (if not Pagan) although baptized several yeas ago.