Okay, this isn’t strictly a post on religion, but I’m almost finished installing Windows XP on my MacBookPro. But hold on–maybe this is akin to a religious experience. Many Mac-users are very evangelistic and some can be justifiably accused of idolatry. And as I hesitantly commit the syncretistic act of mixing the products of those [...]

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This post is dedicated to the Christians who ask themselves that soul-searching question: What would Jesus drive? According to the pro-environment Evangelicals who run WhatWouldJesusDrive.org: the Risen Lord Jesus cares about what we drive. Pollution from vehicles has a major impact on human health and the rest of God’s creation. It contributes significantly to the [...]

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When I was 20, I read an autobiography by the late Edwin O. Reischauer, Harvard professor, ambassador to Japan and one of the founders of East Asian Studies in the United States. It remains one of the most influential books in my life–after reading it, I decided that I wanted to A) be a scholar, [...]

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“Ow! Hot rice. In cleavage!” And no, it wasn’t me.

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[The following is part of my response to a Sunstone West paper on women who self-identify as both Mormon and Pagan:] I was intrigued by the themes of syncretism and religious identity running through Doe’s presentation. I’m no stranger to syncretism—I spent several years growing up in my mother’s hometown in Japan. The Japanese say [...]

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I had this dream last night where I thought I had made it to the Sunstone conference on time but then realized I was so late that I missed out on all of the sessions in which I was a chair or a respondent. Obviously there’s some deeply buried anxiety concerning my duties at Sunstone [...]

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If you walk past UCI’s main library tomorrow, you’ll find a colorful display criss-crossing the plaza, flapping in the wind like Tibetan prayer flags. If you examine them more closely, you’ll find that they are inscribed with prayers of a sort. They are memorials of abuse. Some are sorrowful, others angry. Every year I try [...]

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Found this in the May/June 2004 Adbusters: We soldiers of all nations who lie killed Ask little: that you never, in our name, Dare claim we died that men might be fulfilled. The earth should vomit us, against that shame. We died; is that enough? Many died well, Of both sides; most of us died [...]

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[I wanted to get this up before going to bed--if you read this note, there's a good chance that I will add pictures and links on Easter Sunday or on Monday.] I lost my wallet this week. Yesterday, Jana dropped me off at the DMV in Costa Mesa to get a replacement license. I was [...]

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Neither Jana nor I are big sports fans, so we both got a kick out of this video. Jana enjoyed it a lot more than I did, judging by the fact that her lips seemed to be stuck on the “oh” shape. She forced me to give her the URL. I wonder if PETA will [...]

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