Thanks Bill Krumbein for the wild flowers [which he forwarded from the Cal. State Park Rangers Asso.] site. I've heard this is the best year ever in Death Valley and Southern California in general.
Hit thumbnail to see big photo.

Thanks to Gregory Johnson for This is Your Home - Listen to the Wombat! from the Foundation for Global Community.

from Rick Levine: I just finished Bix's "Hirohito" which is a great companion volume to "Zen War Stories" [by Brian Victoria] as it gives the background, especially around "Emperorhood", to the Zen. I see parallel between the cult of worshipping the emperor, celebrating his literal descent from Amaterasu; a parallel between that and the "Zen Master's mind-to-mind descent from Buddha, justifying his deification.  (I'll tell you one thing, it all turns out a lot more aristocracy than theocracy).  To put it differently, there are some particular similarities, between Emperor Hirohito's life and [some American teacher/s].

My next books will be Richard Jaffe's on the Meiji period [Neither Monk Nor Layman], then Zen at War. Right now "Strange Moon" by Joanne Kyger which is terrific fun.

My advice: for the Western Paradise, quit praying, it's all about giving a few bucks to the right guy.

Be sure to see today's hints for the third contest.

Dennis recommends Humanity's Team.

Check out this cool book, the Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill at the bottom of our Bibliography. Then see the movie. I remember Judy Irving who made it from her first movie, the anti-nuclear Dark Circle. Used to comp her and fellow workers at ZC's restaurant Greens when I was the host there to help them in a way I could. Haven't seen the movie but everyone says it's great. I remember Bittner from somewhere I think but I can't remember from where (which is more and more true these days). He sent me the book with a nice note when it came out last year but I only just read it last month. I tend to do most my slow reading here at the computer. I loved it and the neat little role that ZMBM and Shunryu Suzuki played. Hit the image to see the cover big. Check out the website for the book and movie.