From my church's yahoo groups board, someone posted an interesting article from the NY Times on 9/11 and God, Searching for God During a Tragedy. I'm not sure if you have to be registed on the NY Times website to read this, so be aware of that.

The column starts "Where was God on September 11?" I've never read this column before, but from what I've been researching, Peter Steinfels comes out of the Pentecostal tradition, has a doctorate on religion, and has been writing this column called Beliefs for the New York Times since 1988.

To commemorate September 11, my church is having a 24 hour prayer vigil starting on September 10 at 7 pm, and then concluding with a 7pm service on September 11. I'm sure churches around the country are honouring this occasion in their own way. I think it will be a solemn day for everyone, probably akin to how Pearl Harbor Day is memorialized for people who lived through it.

I grew up in Hawaii, and Pearl Harbor and Memorial Day were big events in school. Each school sent flower leis to be placed on the graves of the dead soldiers. There were contests of every sort in my grade school yearly, on both occasions. Contests to see who could make the most leis, the most unusual lei, the most creatively designed lei, etc. Honoring the war dead was a big part of my childhood growing up. I wonder if it was the same for other children. Hawaii was the only state that was bombed in a world war. Perhaps only in the south with the war between the states, can you find the same amount fervor for remembering the war dead.

You coudn't grow up in Hawaii, at least on my island and during the time I lived there, without being acutely aware that you were in the past, and even now, a target for nations to attack, and attack first. My teachers in school made us vitally aware, that our state for all practical purposes, was a sitting duck in any world war. Still, I'm glad I grew up at a time, in a place, where the war dead were honoured, and memorialized year and year. I wonder if schools in Hawaii are still keeping up with the practice.

After two weeks on my low calorie eating plan, I've lost seven (7) pounds. Most of this weight I know was water, but it's a great psychological boost to know that the weight is coming off. I spent the morning trying on clothes in my closet that haven't fit for the last year and a half, and some of them actually fit. YEAH!!! I've still got a long way to go, but it's exciting to think that one day I'll be able to wear everything in my closet again.

I was going to go shopping to check out the Labor Day sales, but decided against it. I shouldn't buy any more clothes until I lose weight. I did buy a clearance sweater from both Lands End and LL Bean last night, but my top hasn't varied in sizes in years. I'll always be a large on top, maybe a medium, a big medium, but never a small. Nature has been generous with me with a certain body part, and I'm the size that some women are surgically trying to enhance. When I was younger I swore to myself once, that if I ever made a ton of money, I would get a reduction in size. But as the years have gone by, I've become grateful for nature's generosity. It's better to have something on top, then nothing at all. Besides, some women are dying, literally, to be my size. It would be stupid to give up what a lot of women want.

I'm hoping they do shrink a little, becuse fashion wise, being large on top makes shopping difficult. Whis is odd, if you think about it. The media would have you believe that a lot of women are getting breast implants. But when you shop for women's clothing, the up to the minute fashionable tops you find only really fit well if you're small on top. Unless of course, you're supposed to want to wear your tops snug. But if you wear your tops snug, then you ending looking really huge, and you get alot of unwelcome stares and looks from total strangers. Besides, then it totally looks you're wearing a top which is one size too small. This kind of thinking so doesn't make sense to me.

I found diet cranberry/raspberry juice at Trader Joes. I didn't know they made diet juice. I'll have to check out other stores to see what they have. I don't really drink juice straight. Instead, I flavor my mineral water with juice. Most juice tastes way too sweet for me most of the time. Trader Joes even had chocolate made without sugar, which I bought just to try. I'm curious to know how chocolate made without sugar tastes.

I rented a bunch of movie to watch for the long weekend: Amelie, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and The Big Lebowski. I'll watch them in between cleaning, ironing, exercising and writing. On Monday, a friend and I are going to Ala Carte Ala Park in Golden Gate Park. It's close to home, I can walk there, and there's a band playing that we both like, The Tommy Castro Band. This event will be an eating challenge, because you can buy scrummy gourmet food all day long. I'll have to stick to healthy low calorie choices, although I don't know if there's such a thing with gourmet food. Plus, I'll stick to a two drink minimum, if I'm drinkng beer and, 3-4 drink minimum, if I'm drinking wine. And then, red wine only. I can drink more wine, because it's served in 4 oz portion, unlike beer or bottled beer which comes in a larger size.

Actually, eating low calorie hasn't been too bad. I just have to really be aware of what I'm eating, and not mindlessly eat, which is what I think I've been doing for the last four years. I'm realizing that mindlessly eating for me, has probably been the sole cause of my weight gain. Ironic to realize this too, since I like to think I'm an aware person. I love how I've fooled myself into thinking I'm an aware person. I wonder what other areas of my life have suffered from my mindlessness.

I saw XXX tonight. First of all, my friend Mel was right. Triple Ex is a chick flick. Come to think of it, Black Hawk Down was a total chick flick too. Vin Diesel is damned handsome! I think if I saw this guy walking down the street, he'd probably scare me half to death and I'd cross the street to get away from him. In a movie however, Diesel is so yummy looking. I saw the previews for Triple Ex when I went to see Spiderman. The teenybop girls and I were oohing and awing over Diesel's bald head and tatoos. The movie did not disappoint.

Despite what the reviews said, I thought the movie rocked. The action scenes were fantastic. The special effects were incredible. I got an adrenaline rush just watching the movie, which lasted for hours afterward. The head banging metal music was also just great. All action and special effects movie should have a headbanging metal soundtrack. Take the action, special effects, the adrenaline rush, the fantastic music, and stick a drop dead gorgeous only in the movies guy and you have the makings of total chick flick!

I can't get over my reaction to Diesel, because he's really not very good looking. He exudes this total animal attraction and charisma that totally reached out to me from the screen. My reaction to him is similar to my reaction to Prince. I don't think Prince is cute at all, but when I see him, he just looks like the most sexiest guy on earth.

Part of Triple Ex's attraction has to be those tatoos. I've never dated a man with tatoos, and probably never will either, but that doesn't mean I don't find men with tatoos totally attractive. I am definitely buyng the XXX DVD when it comes out.

I wonder if moviemakers know that some women love movies with beautiful men, and that critics are so wrong when they say Divine Secrets of YaYa Sisterhood is a chick flick. YaYa is not a chick flick. Triple Ex is a chick flick. What woman wants to see other women on screen, when they can see pretty boys. It's a no brainer!

Other total chick flicks are:

The Lord of the Rings - just for Legolas alone, but it's also full of pretty boys of all varieties including Sam.
Black Hawk Down - a movie with young and pretty military boys, come on, if this isn't a girl's movie, I don't know what is.
Any Keannu Reeves movie - because IMHO, he is the ultimate studmuffin!
Top Gun - again, young and pretty military boys, and a must watch over and over again beach volleyball scene.
Any Tom Cruise movie - since he's quite a dish as well.
I'll add Nicholas Cage, John Travolta movies to the list as well, because well, despite their less than perfect looks, these guys are really good looking.
Any Russel Crow movie - great actor, and wild and good looking in that untamable Aussie way
Brad Pitt and George Clooney movies are not chick flick movies, at least for me. Can't say the same for other women.
Any Ewan McGregor movie - another great actor who does a variety of roles, loved him in Little Voice and as Obi-Wan Kenobi, and he's got a very boyish pretty face.

I'm sure there are more movies to add to the total chick flick list, but I can't think of any right now.

I never saw The Fast and Furious, but I think Vin Diesel is in it. I'm sure the movie will make my chick flick list because Diesel is in it, but I'll reserve judgment till I see the movie for myself.

I'm still reeling over how good looking Vin Diesel was in the movie. Talk about total animal attraction for a movie star! Scary!!! Maybe the movie makers had subliminal messages placed on Diesel's body, which said things like SEXY, HOT, STUDMUFFIN, YUMMY, HUNK, etc. Nothing else explains my reaction, or that of my friends as well.

Here's my impressions on the MTV 2002 Music Video awards.

I loved Jimmy's Fallon's opening. He did a great impression of Enrique Inglesias and Dave Matthews. Enrique was with some girl, who I thought looked really familiar. That girl turned out ot be Anna Kournikova. She looked like your typical trashy rock star girlfriend. Didn't she just lose a match at the US Open, and get booed of the court? I guess she's finding solace in Enrique's arms. He really is quite dishy!

Bad trashy outfits

Gwen Stefani. What was up with that white undershirt and poufy leather black studded skirt? What about that rastafarian (yellow, red and green) wrist band she was wearing? What's up with that? Was she pledging her allegiance to the reggae/ska flag by wearing it, or was she wearing it on a whim?

Britney Spears - yikes! She's so scary, but I'm sure some people, especially men, loved that teenybopper dominatrix look.

Christina Aguillera - She is really thin, and rackless to boot. She's the kind of chick you see on the street who is wearing a skimpy top, and you think to yourself, "what's the point? there's nothing to show." No hips either. Was that the way she really talks or was she trying to sound ghetto? I liked her salute to the 60's with that silly cap she had on. Poor woman really needs a stylist, or if she has one, fire that person immediately!

Michelle Branch - Okay, I know the 60's looks are really trendy, but honestly that dress looked like a rug or something. A really bad looking rug. I don't think anyone would buy it for their home, if it was a rug.

The highlight of the show definitely had to be Guns-n-Roses! God, they rocked! They really showed the Hives, The White Stripes and The Vines what rock and roll really means. I am definitely buying the new Guns-n-Roses cd when it comes out. Axel Rose looked a little road weary, but hey the guy is old. He's still quite the looker though, and I loved his dreads.

The P. Diddy number was definitely over the top. I didn't know P Diddy could dance; that was a revelation. Michael Jackson looked like he was dressed as a hockey goalie, but for what kind of hockey game is unclear. What happened to his face? He was so cute as a kid! What was up with Lisa Marie Presley's voice? Is that the way she really sounds? It was so throaty and ghetto. Maybe talking like you grew up in the ghetto, even though you so did not, is the fad now?

I loved Pink. Was she really drunk? Probably. She totally looks like a party girl. Okay, her outfit was totally trashy too, but that's the way she was dressed in her last video so I wasn't quite so shocked. What was up with J Lo's hair? Perhaps she was showing her Bronx roots by that do?

Avril Lavigne is only 17 years old, and looked and dressed like it. What a trip to be that young and to have her fame? I hope she doesn't end up drugged out because of it, and we end up watching her sad life story on Behind the Music.

I loved Ja Rule. He has the sexiest voice! And the reviews are true. Justin Timberlake looked like he was doing a Michael Jackson interpretation. Bruce Springstein was fabulous, but then he always is. It was great to see him opening the show with that 9/11 song. Shakira's performance was great too, although it felt like she jumping on the garage band sound with her song.

What's up with all the mumbling? The Hives, The Vines and Sheryl Crow mumbled through their song. Was it my TV, MTV sound, or were they really mumbling. It was so annoying!

Eminem, what can I say? He can definitely rap, and his tally of VMA trophies says alot, despite what his critics have to say.

The major league baseball strike has been averted, but I think it's a band-aid to a problem that's going to keep continuing. I think the players and owners didn't strike because of the negative fan reaction. In 2006, I think we will be in the same position we are in today.

Skip Bayless is on the Jim Rome show, and he's calling it the luxury tax and revenue sharing a "quasi-salary cap". I don't know why they don't have a salary cap in baseball; it seems to work for football and basketball. Baseball is exempt from anti-trust laws, but not basketball and football. Why is this?

The Oakland A's are the only reason I'm happy about the baseball strike being averted. I think the A's can go all the way this year. The Yankees aren't as strong. The pitching is better. The A's on are on winning streak, and the Angels and the Mariners seem to be running out of steam. I think the A's could blow any team in the National League away, including the Diamondbacks.

I know I should be rooting for the SF Giants, but I don't think they have a chance of making the playoffs. The Dodgers are way too hot.

It would be great to have the SF Giants and the Oakland A's in a world series, but then my loyalties would be torn. I love the A's because the median age of the team is 25 years old; I love Barry Zito; I think Billy Beane is a genius; and besides the Oakland A's are the boy band team, the NSync of major league baseball. How could I not love them? But I'm a resident of the city and county of San Francisco, and the SF Giants are my team; they deserve my loyalty. My heart belongs to the A's, but when push comes to shove, I would root for the Giants against the A's.