...Living the a/typical Piscean dream...

Books...

Da Vinci Code (paperback) - yes I'm probably the last person on earth who hasn't read this yet!

Want:
The Three Christs of Ypsilanti: A Psychological Study by Milton. Rokeach (ISBN 0394703952)
Female Chauvinist Pigs : Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture by Ariel Levy (ISBN: 0743249895 )

and Da Vinci Code spinoffs:

Last Templar by Raymond Khoury (ISBN: 0525949410)
The Templar Legacy: a Novel by Steve Berry (ISBN: 0345476158)
The Secret Supper : A Novel by Javier Sierra (ISBN: 0743287649)
Labyrinth by Kate Mosse (ISBN: 0752860542)

posted by ... floating, not drowning... @ 11:31 AM 0 comments links to this post

The madness stops now... (edit 4/5 soon)

Ever since my bday less than 3 weeks ago I have accumulated:

Accessories:

1 Michael Kors Large Jewelled Astor Satchel in Antique Gold - $149usd (reg $350usd)

1 Coach white large shoulder bag 2006 - $187cdn (reg $250cdn)

1 Gucci Leather Horsebit Shoulder Bag (small) - $875cdn - Happy Birthday to me!

1 Fendi sunglasses FS339L in burgandy - $250cdn (reg $500cdn)

Beauty:

Nars cosmetics - $126cdn (2 blushes: Torrid and Madly, 2 lipglosses: Sandpiper and Giza)

Narciso Rodriguez For Her EDP large - $136cdn (-$50 gift certificate)

Miss Dior Cherie (small) - $70cdn (-$20 voucher)

Escada Escada perfume - $25usd (reg $50usd)

JLo Miami Glow - $20usd (reg $43usd) - This is just on the market for one year, so stock up!

Hair products (large salon shampoo & cond, curl activator, laminates spray, Kerastase curl creme, L'oreal curl conditioner & spray gel) - approx $200cdn (I am NOT proud of this)

Clothes:

Lululemon pants - $59cdn (reg $69cdn)

Paige Denim Laurel Canyon - $60usd (reg $169usd)

And probably more. Random shoes, hair dryer nozzle, 2 pashminas, 2 sweaters...

The madness stops now as I have to start selling stuff to make room and to pay for my purchases. I have what I need for the summer (white bag, black purse, yoga pants, sunglasses, jeans, makeup and fragraces) but everything else was a splurge.

I'll end the madness after:

1) pair of rhinestone/crystal hoops (Nordstrom Nadri $78usd)

2) another pair of jeans that fit (Citizen Ingrids? Rock & Republic Madrids 26 and Roth 26)

3) Black v-neck sweater

4) Christian Louboutin-like heels (Town Shoes $100cdn, Browns $200cdn)

5) yoga black top/jacket

This is not to bragging list, but a shameful list of my addictions which I don't really deserve.

posted by ... floating, not drowning... @ 5:35 PM 0 comments links to this post

The BEST commercial ever! (From an Asian woman's point of view)

posted by ... floating, not drowning... @ 4:30 PM 0 comments links to this post

Books that move me...

Currently:
Before I Got Here as featured on the Ellen show.

Introduction by Blair Underwood

It has been said that we are not human beings having a spiritual experience, but rather, we are SPIRITUAL beings having a human experience.

As our three children, ages eight, six, and three, practically ransacked my parents' home during a recent visit, I would often glance over and steal a glimpse of either my mother or father in virtual bliss as they witnessed the near demolition of their living quarters. The same acts that would have landed me in "Punishment Purgatory" bring sheer delight to grandparents and, at rare times, to parents. When I asked my father why he was so joyful in the presence of his grandchildren, he began to wax philosophical on the inexplicable emotions one feels when face-to-face with their legacy. He then commented on how happy our children seemed. He said, "That means you guys are doing your jobs right as parents."

I consider this to be the ultimate compliment. Though my profession is that of an actor, the monikers I cherish most are Husband and Father.

I feel that, as parents, we are blessed to be entrusted with the lives of our children, these tiny angels from above. We are the guardians, for too brief a time, of these souls that are very much alive and well-defined when they relocate among us.

When each of our children was born, I witnessed my wife bring forth new life. The first birth was by cesarean. With the subsequent births I watched as she reached down, placed her hands under the armpits of our babies, and literally pulled them into the world, without the use of any drugs.

From the instant a newborn takes its initial breath, it is evident that the basic foundation and/or blueprint of that baby's personality is already in place.

Though operating on instinct when babies find their way to their mother's nipple to suckle for the first time, there are already subtle clues about the persons they will become. Even in their earliest weeks here, there are signs of the persona yet to emerge...if we only pay attention. Consequently I feel that parents have very little control of what type of child (physically, mentally, etc.) will be divinely assigned to us.

On the other hand, far too many influences lay in wait with the sole intent to corrupt the purity of children's souls. In our own attempts to be worthy of the title "parent," we endeavor, at times, to control, protect, guide, expose, teach, and "let go." "Let go," to allow our children to evolve, mature, and eventually replenish the earth with their own seeds. Ah, yes, the proverbial "Circle of Life."

But, at what point does the circle begin, and where, if ever, if ever does it end? Where do our souls begin and where do they end?

I believe in the "eternal perspective" of life. In other words, life does not begin and end on our planet Earth.

There is a continuum of our life force that inherently remembers thoughts, sights, and sounds of a previous existence..."before we got here."

Where, when, and how we existed prior to now is both impossible to know and irrelevant. What is enormously relevant is the fact that we are given brief glimpses into this other world by the purest of beings, our children. They visit and share our space for just a finite period. They walk among us so innocent and naive, yet profoundly wise and insightful. Somehow they are still connected to that "other place" that is, by definition, the manifestation of love eternal.

As a father of three young children, I have experienced firsthand the silliness, the elation, the bickering, and the exploration of new worlds through infant eyes. The occasional nonchalant "utterings" of those youngsters can now and then leave a parent speechless...if we truly listen to what our children are telling us.

A few years ago, when my eldest son was four years old, he discovered the concept of "jokes." He was absolutely fascinated by the mechanics of a joke. What made it funny, why do people laugh, how does one "deliver" a joke?

I explained to him that, oftentimes, a joke is funny because of its punch line or "button." Usually the button has a double meaning or double entendre. So, after I'd discussed this with him, as you can well imagine, double entendre became the phrase of the day.

Later that evening, while driving to the airport, I noticed that my son was very introspective while staring out of the window. I asked him what he was thinking about and he proceeded to tell me about a dream that he'd had, "last night."

"Oh, hey, Daddy, 'last night' means the last night a few nights ago and it means the last night when there are no more mornings and no more nights."

Only half listening, preoccupied with so many other daily demands, I offered an obligatory grunt of affirmation, to assure him that Daddy was indeed listening. I continued to drive and after a while, I replayed, in my head, what my son had said. I asked him to repeat it, and this time he elaborated: "...the last night when there are no more mornings and no more nights, and that is when all of the people go up to Heaven. 'Last night' has two meanings, Daddy, it's a 'double entendre.' Isn't that cool?"

By now, I had almost collided with the car in front of me, so I pulled over when I realized that he was referring to "The Last Days" and to what is referred to by biblical scholars as "The Rapture." This is considered to be when all "believers" will ascend to Heaven. Since he was only four, I can't imagine I would have shared this concept with my son yet, because conversations about death or leaving the comfort of home and family can be disconcerting to a young child.

Because I was raised by parents who encouraged artistic, personal, and spiritual expression, I feel it is essential that I, even as a relatively new parent, afford my children the same freedom. So I asked him who had told him such things.

"God told me, when he made me, but I only had one ear at the time, so I could only hear a little."

Was this an "utterance" from a child's vivid imagination, the result of incessant, religious brainwashing (as one obviously bitter and angry gentleman recently wrote to me), or was it an actual eyewitness account of a soul's emergence into "being"...the recollections of its own creation?

When I shared this story with friends and family, I soon found that other parents or caregivers had similar stories. One friend, in particular, Donyell Kennedy-McCullough, urged me to compile the stories and put them into a book. Not only does Donyell have brilliant ideas, she is also a gifted photographer. The artistic images of children that you will see in the following pages were all captured by the lens of Donyell's camera.

We in Western civilization live in a time when there is a reawakening and thirst for an understanding of spiritual connectedness. Simultaneously parents are constantly seeking avenues to familial connectedness, and more specifically, a means to understanding their own children. There is much conversation about Metagifted Education, i.e., the Children of the New Earth, the New Children, the Indigo Children etc.

I've never professed to be an expert in child psychology and I do not represent myself here as such. What I am is a perpetual student of life, as it unfolds before me in the form of my bride Desiree and the three miracles to whom she has given birth. As an observer, I've already found that, as these children grow older, either their ability to remember diminishes or their reluctance to expound increases. What a magnificent gift our world has been given through the children. If not encouraged and nurtured, we will eventually squander these golden opportunities to glimpse another existence and possibly our future.

This book is about encouraging all of us, not only parents, to listen to the "little people" around us. It is not about any particular religion or dogma. It is about opening our eyes to see and our ears to hear the tiny miracles among us, called children. As we live our lives, struggling to survive, trying to make sense of the chaos of the day, it will be infinitely rewarding to take time once in a while and listen to a child's soul.

posted by ... floating, not drowning... @ 11:53 AM 0 comments links to this post

Someone was watching over me....

Near my birthday... thank you for waking me up each time.

posted by ... floating, not drowning... @ 11:52 AM 0 comments links to this post

Ultimate Caesar

Ultimate Caesar Salad courtsey of the Banterist. For those of you who don't get it, it's a satire.

posted by ... floating, not drowning... @ 4:46 PM 0 comments links to this post

2 video clips that move me...

I can watch this clip from Grey's Anatomy over and over again. You finally see these two get loose and goofy. I always burst out laughing when I watch it... no matter who you are or who you think you are... we all dance goofy when we're alone. Admit it!



And this Tim Hortons commercial always makes me cry. Asian parents... you gotta love them.

posted by ... floating, not drowning... @ 12:25 AM 0 comments links to this post