Where are the protests and boycotts by the international community?

Ashin Mettacara is a Buddhist monk who escaped Burma after the brutal end of the Saffron Revolution. Currently, from an undisclosed location, he is blogging whatever news he gets from this isolated country.

The military thugs who control the country are not being held accountable by the rest of the world, but they could not survive without China stonewalling for them. And we in the West, yes even us cool, level headed focused, bright and committed Buddhists seem to have put the issue aside after the unbelievable pictures of thousands of saffron robed monks marching in the streets, followed by the horrific scenes of death and destruction that were caused by the cyclone, disappeared from out TV's.

Just yesterday I was reminded again of what we can still do, even in small ways. I was with a college buddy, showing him around San Francisco. We went into a very upscale shop on Maiden Lane, actually a building that Frank Lloyd Wright designed. On the desk was a jar and an appeal to continue to help the victims in Myanmar.

Wake up. It's still going on. Please do not let up the pressure. Speak up!

clipped from www.ashinmettacara.org Burma, Myanmar: Popular Burmese Hip-Hop Singer Gets 6 Years; Leader Monk Gets Another 15 years More than 20 activists were sentenced in Burma on Thursday. A popular Burmese Hip-Hop singer Zay Yar Thaw was also included in the list of the detainenes sentenced. Zay Yar Thaw is a 27-year-old singer from the popular music band known as ACID. ACID a hip-hop band from Yangon, Burma. Zaw Yar Thaw organised and led the Generation Wave group with the young activists during the Saffron Revolution led by the Buddhist monks in 2007. He was arrested in March with his four other members of Generation Wave. He was sentenced today to 6 years imprisonment for possessing foreign currency and organising illegal group. His four other members of Generation Wave were sentenced to 5 years imprisoment each. The leader and spokesmonk for the Saffron Revolution Ashin Gambira gets another 15 years. Last Tuesday he has already been sentenced to 12 years imprisonment. But his case is not closed yet. By Ashin Mettacara

A very, very Happy Merry to All

A very, very Happy Merry to All
12/23/07

 

Congratulations, Al

Congratulations Al, and, thanks from all of us earthlings.

Whether or not we are generous in our thoughts about you, you have made a difference. And we thank those who are working so hard to look at the science required to track and, ultimately, change the downward spiral, including the men and women with whom you share this Nobel prize, the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

The World's Best (local) Coffee House

What are the ingredients for a good, perhaps superlative coffee house? Coffee? Eats? Service? Fast WiFi? Folks? Music? Comfortable seats? Location?


Most every coffee drinker I know protests Starbucks trying to romance us away with their coffee-flavored drinks. But how many will step off their normal path to support a really great place, run by wonderful people, with great coffee, fine eats, cool music, and comfortable seats where no one will bother you if you want to sit and fiddle on your laptop?


In the hope that a great place with these essential ingredients in abundance is rewarded, I am going to recommend my favorite coffee house, even if it might become crowded once the word gets out.

The Nervous Dog at 3438 Mission (between 30th and Courtland) in San Francisco deserves your business. As I write, it is still early on Sunday morning, and I just watched the owner go outside with a bowl of water for a customer's dog, obliged by the health code to wait outside. He, the owner that is, not the dog, is unflaggingly bright spirited and courteous, and I have the impression that this is who he really is - that he genuinely likes people and enjoys serving them. I had a perfectly made (free trade) cafe americano plus wonderful lox and bagel, all for a very reasonable price. We are listening to country gospel music. I would not be able to sit through 2 crossover country "hits," but this music has the A flat that distinguishes the genuine article, and I am enjoying it much more than I might have thought possible. It seems that I am not alone either. I see more than one of the two dozen or so diverse feet around me moving rhythmically .

At the bottom of Bernal Heights, the Hill, a few souls have wandered down to refresh their souls. It is not in a great Starbucks location, as you can see by the picture, no fancy shopping mall, or convenient kiosk in a supermarket, but the parking looks reasonably available for San Francisco if you are a driver. I came on foot, lucky to have The Nervous Dog in my neighborhood.

I am not alone in my evaluation either. I will link to Urbanspoon that posts reviews by ordinary folks like me. As of today, June 3rd, 17 out of 25 reviews give it the highest rating, 5 stars.

If you can't join me at The Nervous Dog, support your local coffee house.