Off today. Woke up and was just "off". Even after a whole pot of coffee. Maybe it should be a "break" day. Every week should allow one break day, break the routine and not require anything, but I'll probably go out and read somewhere, seeing as today and tomorrow are supposed to be Bay Area versions of a heat wave. I already spent the entire morning watching anime.

Avoiding today's media smarm. Sure, we should remember, but all this media tugging at my heart-strings is inherently more cynical than anything I could artificially conjure, even if I tried. Stick to the facts and "remember" how the Bush Administration has cheapened the lives lost with its war-mongering and corporate profiteering. I recorded a three hour American Experience documentary a few days ago, chronicling the entire life cycle of the World Trade Center towers. I still flinched.

My problem with American Buddhism, even imported, is its need to explain or express things in dichotomies, mostly of positive and negative, as if Buddhism's only contribution to America is to help some suburban blonde office worker distinguish between what feels good or bad. I'm sure I have plenty to learn from American Buddhism.

But for now, it's the so-called Tibetan Book of the Dead. Finally, a flying carpet that I can jump on and ride.